Heroin and Vodka
by Pokemon1235
Summary: You would think Annalise Keating's life wasn't screwed up as it is. What with being blamed for her husband's death and having to handle a bunch of out of control law school undergrads, who are looking for trouble at every given opportunity. Not a perfect life right? Add Vodka to the mix and you find your solution:Heroin. A Season 2 divergent fic.
1. Chapter 1

**HEROIN AND VODKA**

 **Author's note- Hey guys. This is my first fanfiction ever. Now I'm a complete but for this show** **and have been watching it since last year. I wait crazily every week for a new episode.** **Anyways, enough blabbering about me. This thought occurred to me recently a while back** **and I decided to pen it down. I'm a complete sucker for Isaac and Annalise. I've always** **thought they had a great chemistry on screen and I have been rooting for those two to get** **together for a while now. Now I don't know whether Shonda will oblige, but here, everything** **goes. So without further ado, let's begin.**

* * *

 **Chapter 1**

They say things can't possibly get worse for someone who aids and abets a murder. Right?I mean, what could possibly be worse than having your students kill your husband and then go on to cover up the same murder while also representing a client(who incidentally is a psychotic druggie to top it all) who is being charged for murder and was incidentally present on the same night as the former murder. Nuts, right?!

You would think Annalise Keating or AK as she is referred to by her beloved(read:murderous) students would have enough on her plate already. What with the constant worry that something would go wrong or that the police would ring something amiss or that Frank would jump the gun and mess up or that Wes would… the possibilities were endless.

Sigh.

Vodka. Ah the charms of an early morning chug which never failed to bring her that much wanted state of numbness combined with a sense of elation. She had to get quite resourceful nowadays as Bonnie would interfere by hiding her entire liquor stash in various parts of the house. She had to rummage for quite a while before she came across one of the hidden bottles. What a bother.

She was driving along the 2-0-1 leading up to the university. She was in a world of her own, swooning along to some jazz playing on the radio. She was so out of it, she failed to notice the white SUV pulling up right next to her and coming to a stop a few yards ahead.

CRASH!

The seatbelt was the only miracle which managed to throw her back to her seat. The windpane cracked and bits of glass fell like a shower around her. Her state of blissful oblivion was shattered.

* * *

She was awaiting the results of the toxicology reports as she stood outside the Philly Police Department. What a state to be in and such a perfect way to begin the new year- with a literal bang!

An officer stepped outside the revolving doors.

"Miss Keating?" he asked, raising an eyebrow in her direction.

Nodding, the officer handed her a large manilla envelope. She quickly flipped through its contents till she came across the document she was searching for.

Result- Positive

BAC-0.10

 _Whew!_ thought Annalise. _Must have been quite a drink_ _._

* * *

As she called a cab back home, she wondered what repercussions she would have to face now that the University Board would be breathing down her neck.

"President Hargrove has asked to meet you,Annalise." Bonnie replied as she walked in. " I arranged for a 3:30 meeting at her office on Monday."

Annalise sighed.

" You should have said no, Bonnie. I've got enough on my plate without this as it is." as sheentered her office, placing her bag on the desk. Bonnie walked in right behind her, shutting the door behind her.

"Maybe you should have thought of that before you got drunk and crashed into her car." Bonnie replied, skeptically.

She sighed. She was getting too old for this mess.

* * *

At 3:30 on Monday, Annalise arrived at President Hargrove's door. Knocking, she heard a reply and entered.

"Ah. Miss Keating." a woman of a similar age stepped out from behind her desk. She strode across the room before extending her hand. Taking it, Annalise replied.

"Call me Annalise. Miss Keating is for my students."

"Alright Annalise. Why don't you take a seat before we begin." she replied, in a cordial tone.

Annalise took a seat, as gestured. She opened her mouth to say something but Hargrove cut her across.

"Now, I know what you're about to say and before you say it, let me tell you that you're forgiven." Hargrove replied with a curt smile.

Annalise gave a wry smile.

"What gave me away?" she asked.

"Well, let's just say that drunk driving isn't a first for _me."_ she replied,before continuing "Now while I might be content condoning this behaviour, the Board has asked that I take strict action against you, especially Barry Lewiston. Now while _they_ suggested that I revoke your license to practice entirely-"

Annalise interrupted.

"You can't fire me. I'm a tenure professor."

This time Hargrove gave a soft chuckle.

"Check the terms of your employment. Without a practicing license, your tenure is negated as such." she replied.

Annalise stopped at that, recalling that she was indeed correct.

"Now as I was saying before you interrupted me," she replied, continuing " The Board was all for revoking your license but I managed to talk them out of it _if_ and only on the condition that you agree to visit an addiction counsellor twice a week beginning from Wednesday this week.

Annalise sighed.

"President Hargrove, while I thank you for reducing my sentence," here she paused while both chuckled heartily, " you must understand that as of last week I have taken up a new case which will be occupying me for months to come."

"Yes. The Hapstall case. I heard. You really must like a challenge if you were willing to represent those two." she replied.

" I see you are already aware. If so, you should know that I'll have my hands full with the case to barely have time to-"

" I'm sorry Annalise but my hands are tied here. I'm afraid this is nonnegotiable.'' she replied. Annalise sighed. What choice did she have? She would have to put up with this for the time being. How bad could it get? After all she had spent more than 15 years dealing with Sam.

"Here are the papers." Hargrove replied, drawing up the document. "If you would just sign here," she replied, indicating a certain section of the paper.l and handing her a pen.

Annalise took the pen and signed her initials.

"Good." she replied, putting away the document inside a folder. "Now, details regarding yourtherapist and your appointment will be emailed to you latest by Wednesday. You mayresume classes from tomorrow. Good day Annalise."

Nodding, she left her office.

* * *

She arrived at the mentioned address at five past nine the followingchecked her email once again to verify the given address.

43/1 South Street, Rittenhouse Square.

As she walked in and shut the door behind her, a number of thoughts flashed through hermind. She felt an odd sense of deja vu as she pressed the buzzer at the end of the hall. The plak on the door read 'Isaac Roa,Doctor of Psychology( Licensed Alcohol and Drug Counselor).

As she awaited a reply, her mind flashed back to her first meeting with Sam.

 _Flashback_

 _She was 25 and was in her first year at Harvard Law. She had been having some issues ever since she started law school back a few months ago. As such, her fellow classmate and close friend, Eve Rothlow had suggested that she pay a visit to the on- campus psychiatrist._

 _As she arrived at his office, she knocked on his door, awaiting a reply._

" _Come in." replied a soft voice, as she walked in._

 _And that was how she met the man who would grow to become her husband three years later_

 _End Flashback_

"Miss Keating." replied a deep voice, as she was brought out of his musings. She turned to face the voice.

It was a middle aged man, who looked to be in his late 40s. He was tall and broad shouldered. A few wrinkles crisscrossed his face, signifying his age. A small goatee adorned his chin on an otherwise clean shaved face. He wore a tweed jacket with a white shirt underneath and a pair of black trousers.

He had a small frown on his face.

"You're late. Do come in." he replied, in a disapproving voice.

As she walked in, she took in the room.

It was a quant and cozy room, a cross between a study and a living room of sorts. The walls were brick red and the door was oak paneled. The center of the room was occupied by a large couch adjacent to a smaller couch opposite it. A rectangular coffee table lay in between. Towards the far end of the room, lay a study table with a PC on it. Rows of files were neatly arranged on the countertop adjacent to a large shelf containing an assortment of books ranging from obscure titles in psychology to her slight amazement, law. A large window was present on the eastern side facing the road. A stream of the morning sun filtered in through the window, casting a warm glow.

Annalise shivered.

"Anything wrong?" the man asked, noticing her behavior.

"No…its nothing." she replied.

"Please do take a seat then. Where ever you find comfortable."

Annalise took the large couch. The man followed suit and occupied the smaller couch opposite her.

"Now as you are already aware." he replied, taking up a notepad lying on the desk next to him "This treatment has been ordered by the Disciplinary Board of Middleton Law School. For me to report favorably, do not be late. Do not cancel. _Do not drink._ Are we clear?" he asked.

Annalise had to resist the urge to roll her eyes.

"Yes." she replied.

"Good." he answered. "Now, we'll be nervous the first time."

"I've been at therapy before." Annalise interjected.

The man raised his eyebrows.

"Your nerves are about something else?" he asked, shortly.

"I've…just want to get better." she replied.

The man nodded.

"You showed up." he replied, before continuing, "That's a good sign. Now let's get started shall we?"

Annalise nodded.

 _Here goes nothing,_ she thought as she braced herself.

* * *

 **Author's Note: There's chapter 1. Now this story is basically a what-if version of what would have happened if Annalise had met Isaac earlier than in canon. Naturally, events that will follow will diverge from canon. I won't reveal which events I plan on altering yet, but know this that this story will not be following canon 100 percent. It will probably take me a few weeks to pen down the next chapter but I'll have it out by the end of March as I will busy with mid-semester exams.**

 **Oh. And a shoutout to nastygustin for agreeing to co-author on this fanfiction.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Heroin and Vodka**

 **Author's note-** **So, I was originally planning on posting this chapter towards the end of March, but then I thought I might as well do it before I hit a writer's block. So without further ado, chapter 2. Lets go.**

* * *

 **Chapter 2**

Annalise and Frank were walking down a hallway in a hurry. It was dark and very poorly lit.

"What idiot hires a new lawyer and then murders their aunt? she asked rhetorically.

"Rich idiots." Frank replied, with a sigh.

As she glanced up, she noticed a certain someone already awaiting their arrival. It was Bonnie.

"What's she doing here?" she asked skeptically.

"Saw the news first." Frank replied.

"Why aren't you in with them?" Annalise asked without looking at her.

"The siblings only gave their names. The sergeant wouldn't let me in." Bonnie replied.

"Its probably because you didn't try hard enough. Game over detective" Annalise replied, pushing open the door, addressing the detective who was in the middle of questioning Catherine Hapstall. Catherine sighed with relief.

* * *

"The arraignment of the siblings is in seventy two hours. We have to establish an alibi in order to get the charges thrown out." Annalise replied, picking up her coat and her purse.

"An alibi for the night their parents were killed or the night their aunt was murdered?" Asher replied cheekily. "Sorry, I'm just trying to keep track of all the murders here."

" _Alleged murders_ , Mr. Millstone. And since when have you backed off a challenge?" she asked before continuing. "Besides we're only dealing with the aunt today."

She turned to Frank.

"Frank try to get a copy of the sealed warrant." Annalise asked. Frank nodded. Bonnie looked up expectantly at Annalise. Annalise caught her look. She sighed.

"Bonnie. With me." she replied before turning to followed her out of the house.

"You're running point on Caleb and Catherine." she replied, before turning around, catching a small smile on Bonnie's face. "Don't you dare smile." she continued "The only reason I haven't let you go is because I can't be in two places at the same time. Screw up again and you'll be the next dead body in this house." she finished with a warning, before leaving.

As Bonnie watched her retreating figure, her mind flashed back to the previous night.

 _Flashback_

" _You killed her." Annalise replied in shock._

" _I did it to_ protect _you." Bonnie replied softly._

" _Oh. Don't you dare go putting this on me. She was innocent." Annalise replied._

" _We don't know that." Bonnie replied._

" _We do. And now that you've done this,_ _ **you're a monster**_ _!"_ _Annalise replied, in disgust and contempt._

Bonnie sighed before turning around and re-entering the house.

* * *

"So, how are we doing today?" Isaac asked, as Annalise entered his office.

"Fine." she replied, "It feels good to be back."

"Really?" Isaac replied with a small chuckle, "You don't have to say that for my benefit."

"I'm not. I'm…. just tired, that's all." Annalise replied, with a shrug.

Isaac nodded. "Are you not sleeping?" he asked.

"No. It's just this case that I took up recently. I've been quite busy in the last few weeks." she replied.

"Tell me about it." he replied, taking up a notepad in his hands.

Her mind flashed back to an hour earlier.

 _Flashback_

" _This reminds me of the time we were in the library and Mr. Ricardo walked by—" Eve replied, but was cut off abruptly._

" _Is Nate going to do it?" Annalise asked._

 _Both were sitting in the front row of Eve's car which was parked in the US Attorney Office parking lot._

" _Do what?" Eve asked with a sigh._

" _Lie on the stand." Annalise replied, "Say that he fought with Sam the night he was murdered."_

 _Eve rolled her eyes._

" _Ok, I might have agreed on this insane situation but I did_ _ **not**_ _agree to break my client's confidentiality."_

" _What confidentiality?"Annalise argued, "The only way he wins is if he follows my plan."_

" _You mean_ _ **my**_ _plan." Eve replied, eyeing her critically. "I'm an attorney Annalise, and I'm very good at what I do. So stop trying to micromanage me."_

 _Annalise broke off. She looked down._

" _I'm sorry." she mumbled._

 _They were both quite for a few moments before Eve broke the silence._

" _Do you love him?" she asked, turning around to face her._

" _He's innocent." Annalise replied after a short pause._

" _That's not what I asked." Eve replied._

 _Annalise was silent for a few moments before she replied._

" _I care for him. And none of this can affect him while you are—" Annalise replied before Eve cut her off._

" _What did I just say about you micromanaging me." she replied with a shake of her head. "You're freaked out, aren't you? About the other night?" she asked softly. "Don't worry. It doesn't have to mean anything. We just…. had fun. At least I did." she replied with a chuckle._

" _So did I." Annalise replied, with a smile._

 _Both of them burst into laughter at that._

" _This is crazy Annalise." she replied with a shake of her head. "I mean I want to say I feel bad or at least a little bit guilty but.." she broke off. After a short pause she replied, "No wonder everybody's having affairs."_

"Annalise?" Isaac asked, after a short pause.

Annalise shook her head as she was brought out of her thoughts. Isaac gazed at her, perturbed.

"It's a bit….complicated." Annalise replied after a short pause.

Isaac chuckled in amusement.

"I have the time. Besides, I deal with complicated for a living." he replied. "So, why don't you go ahead and give it a shot."

Annalise looked him up and down, as if gauging him.

"Alright." she replied with a shrug. After all, what did she have to lose?

 **20 Minutes Later…**

"They're both spoiled, rich children who have never seen the harsher side of the world. I counted 5 public defenders that represented her, most of whom wanted them to plead out."

Isaac nodded before rising from his seat and turning to his table.

"Am I boring you?" Annalise asked sarcastically.

"No. I just forgot to have you fill this out during our last session." he replied, taking up a clip board with a paper attached to it. He walked over to Annalise and sat down on the couch next to her. "It's a list of traumatic life events that are often risk factors in substance abuse disorders. You just check all the boxes that apply. If you've ever been a natural disaster, if you've ever experienced an acci—"

"And then?" Annalise asked, cutting him off.

Isaac turned to her. He put the clipboard down and stared up at her.

"So…" he replied, glancing down at his watch "…you've wasted 21 minutes now telling me about your case. I want to know more about _you."_

"Its my job. It _is_ about me."Annalise replied.

"I think you're telling me about them to avoid talking about you." Isaac replied, analytically.

"Well, this is only our second session and clinical guidelines specify that the therapist is supposed to listen during the first few sessions and let the patient guide the narrative." she replied pointedly.

"Is that what your last therapist did?" Isaac asked, rhetorically.

"Why are you giving me such a hard time here?"Annalise asked, frustrated.

" _I'm_ not. You are. By not opening up." Isaac replied, critically.

"Like I said, this is only our second session and—" she replied, but was cut off.

"So?" Isaac replied. "You've been hiding. For two sessions now. Maybe your last therapist put up with that….but you're stuck with me. So do the work to get better. Or get out" he shook his head towards the door.

Annalise shook her head in frustration. This man would be the end of her.

* * *

 **Author's note:** **The update schedule will be a bit sporadic over the next 2 months as I have exaams coming up in May and I have to study. But don't worry. I plan on seeing this story through.**

 **Please read and review.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Heroin and Vodka**

 **Author's note-** **Ok. As pointed out by nastygustin (shoutout!), I guess the story so far has been too scripted to the Season 2 and Season 4 plots. So, in this chapter, I will be diverging a bit in terms of plot and dialogue. So, without further ado, let's begin.**

* * *

 **Chapter 3**

"Why'd they do it?" she asked herself, dictaphone in one hand

It was half past ten and the entire house was silent. It was dark except for the tiny lamp turned on in Annalise's study.

She was half drowsy and in much need of sleep having slogged through the entire day and barely having scrapped through the sibling's arraignment two days ago.

"Most parricides are the result of years of abuse." she mused. "But Catherine and Caleb say they had a happy childhood. So, why kill their parents?" she argued. "What's their motive?"

"The prosecution will argue that it's the billion- dollar inheritance." she said spooning another spoon of Choco Delight into her mouth, and letting the cool sweet flavor wash over her mouth.

Ice-cream.

It was one of Isaac's solutions to getting over substance issue, especially alcohol.

 _Flashback_

" _While an over indulgence could obviously be harmful for the body, studies have shown that ice cream actually works wonders for the recovering alcoholic. It contains alcohol-mimicking components which provide a sensory delight, producing a similar situation to being drunk." Isaac concluded their latest session._

" _Reaaly?" drawled Annalise "Ice-cream? Seems a bit too easy to me."_

 _Isaac eyed her in a knowing fashion._

" _I know you're skeptical but at least give it a try. Take it from me." he replied._

 _Annalise sensed something off in his statement but decided to not pursue it further. She sensed he wanted to say more, but had decided to cut himself off instead._

 _End Flashback_

So, here she was at the dead of night pursuing a case which looked like it had the devil presiding over it personally, occasionally spooning ice cream into her mouth. While she had indeed been skeptical at first, she noticed that the cool, sweet dairy product indeed produced an odd sense of elation within her. While it was no drunken oblivion, it was still much preferable to the dreadful monotony of having to play the devil's advocate at this hour.

"And then there's the outsider theory." she mused, gazing down at a picture of the smiling Catherine and Caleb in the company of their parents. "They felt so unloved and resentful that they tied up, tortured and shot their parents, execution style." she said switching to a picture of the Hapstalls tied to a chair, bullet wound on their foreheads gaping blood.

Her laptop pinged signaling an email. Turning to her laptop, she noticed it was from Eve.

 **Where did you get those sheets? They were so comfortable. I miss them. And you.**

 **Eve.**

Annalise sighed as she read the email. Things had gotten pretty heated up last time Eve had come over to her house.

 _Flashback_

" _I hate how you make me feel Annalise. I don't hate you. This feeling that I want you and yet I can't have you…" she trailed off, tears in her eyes. She took her face in her hands._

" _I remember you everyday." she replied, softly._

 _And before she knew it, her lips were on hers. Her hands slid down her waist, unzipping her dress as they both climbed into bed._

 _End Flashback_

Annalise sighed. It had been a mistake. Once had been bad enough. But twice?! She felt guilty, almost as though she were leading her on.

She knew she should have confided in Isaac about Eve. But she had been afraid, scared how he would take it. Not only was she in a socially vulnerable position now, what with being a suspect in her husband's murder and being on probation, but now this whole mess with Eve was becoming too much to deal with. She huffed.

 _No use crying over spilt milk,_ she thought. She needed to get this off her chest and the sooner she did so, the better off she would be.

She grabbed her jacket and checked her reflection in the hall mirror. Wiping a smudge of ice cream off her mouth, she grabbed her keys and left.

* * *

A knock was heard on the front door. He turned on the lights as his eyes fell on his watch.

10:45

Who could possibly be knocking at this ungodly hour?

Grabbing his spectacles off his bedside table, Isaac got of his bed and pulled on his tweed jacket. He climbed downstairs and opened the door to the hallway. Turning on the light, he noticed a dark silhouette against the door. Walking over to the door, he pulled it open.

"Annalise?" Isaac asked in surprise. "What are you doing here at this time?" he asked in a half-drowsy state.

Looking into his eyes, Annalise felt a bit guilty, knowing that she had woken him up at this strange hour. She took a deep breath.

"Look, I haven't been honest with you." Annalise replied. "In our last session, when you told me to open up, I hesitated because my mind was on something else and…" she broke off, abruptly.

Isaac watched her softly.

"Don't stand outside. Come in." he replied, gesturing inwards.

"Thank you." Annalise replied, walking in.

* * *

"So, to what do I owe the pleasure at such an awkward hour?" Isaac asked, as he sat down on his seat.

Annalise began to fidget a bit as her eyes shifted away from him.

"You know what? This was a bad idea. I shouldn't be bothering you at this time." she replied, almost jumping off her seat.

Isaac looked puzzled.

"But you clearly already have." he replied with a small chuckle. "Don't worry. I'm used to such visits from patients. Although, I will admit not _quite_ so late as this."

Annalise began to shuffle around her seat. Soon she began to pace the room. Isaac watched her.

"You could start at the beginning." he informed her

She stopped pacing and turned to him.

"What?" she asked.

"I said you could start at the beginning. Its an advice I give to all my patients who struggle to find words to begin describing what they are feeling." he replied.

"Alright then." she replied, resuming her seat. She took a deep breath before continuing. "It all began 20 years ago…"

 _Flashback_

 _She was just a fresher a Harvard. An African American from Memphis with dreams to make it big. She had cleared her LSATS with an incredibly high score of 178._

 _She had just been assigned her class and waited. She was the first to arrive. As she shuffled about her, in walked a girl._

 _Annalise's eyes zoomed in on the girl._

 _She was tall and had a curvaceous figure. She had long black hair and a fair complexion. But what struck Annalise the most was her eyes._

 _They were a deep shade of brown and they shone with a shocking amount of intelligence. Annalise could tell she would one day make a fine lawyer._

 _She walked up to the door leading into the classroom._

" _It's locked." Annalise informed her._

 _She tried it nevertheless._

" _When it opens, you can go in first. I know you were here first." the girl replied._

" _Does it matter?" Annalise asked._

" _If it didn't matter, you wouldn't be here first." she replied with a playful smile. "Hi." she said turning to her. "My name's Eve. Eve Rothlow." She extended her hand to her ._

 _Annalise looked down at the proferred hand before she took it._

" _Annalise. Annalise Keating."_

 _And that was how she met Eve. Eve, who would introduce her to the world of criminal law and her body to new feelings._

 _End Flashback_

"So, you met this woman Eve and you two became good friends at law school. I don't understand how this situation is troubling you, Annalise." Isaac replied, after Annalise recounted the entire story.

"That's because I haven't gotten to the complex part yet." Annalise replied, with a wry grin.

Annalise then went on to explain how she began to develop feelings for Eve, who also developed the same for her. It was an entirely new experience and something which both puzzled and scared her, as she was just beginning to develop her sexual side. Eve told her to visit the on-campus therapist for counseling if she needed to.

"I mean I was just out of law school and I thought it's what really smart people did. They go to therapy. Share their feelings. Of course the only thing I could talk about was this offer I had gotten at a law firm."

She took in a deep breath before continuing.

"I wasn't opening up and my therapist could see that. So then _he_ started opening up and began to share things about his life. He taught me how to share. And it worked. I started talking. I mean _really talking. And it felt so nice._ And natural… and then things began to heat up from there. I began to develop feelings for him. And then…he became my husband."

Isaac's eyes widened at that. When Annalise looked up, she spotted a perplexed expression on his face.

"Hmph…guess you weren't expecting that twist any time soon?" Annalise replied with a wry smile.

Isaac recovered.

"No, in fact I wasn't." Isaac replied, with a small smile of his own. Although it looked somewhat forced. "So, let me see if I've got this right. You developed feelings for Eve and to get over said feelings and to come to terms with them, you began to visit your therapist, for whom you began to developed feelings and he went on to become your husband."

"Eve and I broke off after that." Annalise replied shortly. "I haven't been in contact with her for all these years and I just re- established contact last week because I needed her for this case and—"

Isaac cut her off.

"So you brought this woman back into your life just for a case?"

Annalise paused. She looked down guiltily.

"You could start by apologizing to her." Isaac replied softly. "Apologize for using her like you mentioned, apologize for casting her aside after you met Sam. Apologize for the years of silence you maintained with her."

Annalise looked up at Isaac. He had a soft smile on his face.

"An apology? You really think its that easy?" Annalise asked skeptically.

Isaac chuckled at that.

"You would be surprised at what an apology can do Annalise. You're an alcoholic Annalise. So you are an expert in self- deception. But in here, I'm the expert. So, quit deflecting and do the work to get better. Or else these feelings will simply remain unresolved and you will never be able to come to terms with them." he replied.

Annalise nodded.

"If that's what you think is for the best…"

Isaac nodded.

"It is. Trust me on this."

There it was again. The feeling that he wanted to say more but had cut himself off purposely.

"Ok then. I guess I'll be seeing you next Wednesday." she replied as she grabbed her jacket and her keys off the counter top.

* * *

As Isaac watched her drive off, he sighed.

This patient was quite the troublesome kind. He had to constantly keep his guard up around her. Occasionally, he had come close to revealing too much about himself. He had to be careful around her or things would simply go south from here.

* * *

 **Author's note:** **There you go. A nice cozy, conversation between Annalise and Isaac. I had to struggle to write Eve and Annalise's past, cuz the show never gave it to us and Shonda left the blanks for us to fill.**

 **Anyways , read and review.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Heroin and Vodka**

 **Author's note:** **Ok. I have figured out that Catherine and Caleb's case is going to be pretty boring here…so I will make it the subplot in the Season 2 storyline. As in right this chapter, there's going to be more Annalise- Isaac content. Without further ado, let's begin.**

* * *

 **Chapter 4**

" _Is this Annalise?"_

" _I want you to do a favor for me."_

" _Do you love him?"_

" _ **I'm sorry?"**_

" _I want you to kill me._

"Annalise." a voice called out, interrupting her thoughts. She turned to face the voice. It was Bonnie.

"There you are." she replied. Frank was standing beside her along with Wes, Laurel, Michaela and Conner. There was also a new client sitting on the couch.

She huffed. It was time to get down to business.

* * *

"Well, I guess they look normal." Micheala replied, browsing some pictures of their new client on her laptop.

"Just because they're _smiling_ doesn't mean they don't want to kill each other." Laurel said over her shoulders.

"Hmm…said the girl who clearly wasn't popular in high school." replied Micheala, snarkily.

"Who says I wasn't?" Laurel asked skeptically.

Micheala scoffed at that.

"Oh please."

They were at the courthouse and the judge had just granted them leave for 2 hours before resuming the session.

"Can we stop mean-girling and talk about how Annalise's opening was literally a step-by-step of what she did to us?" Conner asked.

Micheala raised herself.

"All she did was protect us when she didn't need to."

"She _did_ need to, to protect herself." Conner countered.

"No. Wait." Laurel interjected. "Let's hear your case then."

"Ok. Fine." Conner replied with a shrug. "She uses bullying and public humiliation in class, one. Two, she keeps us trapped in her world so the only thing we care about are her needs. Three, we work for her day and night so we never get to sleep. Four, she creates this cult of superiority, this-this Keating 5, which makes us feel special just to be around her…" Conner trailed off.

"Then quit." Laurel replied with a sigh.

Wes cut in.

"He can't. It's like the mob. They kill you if you try to leave."

"Yeah exactly. And she'd have her little puppy do it." Conner replied sarcastically, eyeing Wes.

Annalise walked in and assigned them work regarding crossing the prosecution's witness. She singled out Micheala and assigned her to prep Caleb for the stand but really find out whether he and his sister were screwing.

She called Frank over to her side.

"Frank. I've got a job for you."

* * *

It was night. The Keating 5 had just left along with Bonnie.

Frank was the last to walk out. Before doing so, he quickly stepped into Annalise's office.

"Bonnie said you needed to see me?" Frank asked, walking in.

"Yes. I did." Annalise replied, getting off her chair. "Did you get them?" she asked.

Frank eyed her hesitantly before digging his hands into his coat pocket and handing her an orange canister of pills.

"Should I be worried?" Frank asked.

Annalise looked at him, annoyed.

"No. Go be nosey somewhere else." she replied, shutting the door in his face.

Frank sighed before walking away.

* * *

It was 10 at night and Annalise was still up. She was pondering over Nia's words.

 _Flashback_

" _I want you to do a favor for me, Annalise." Nia replied. "I want you to kill me."_

" _This is inappropriate." Annalise countered._

" _Just get me the pills. You wouldn't be killing me. I'd do that myself." she replied, softly. "Its called secobarbital. I take it and I'm asleep, just like that."_

Annalise eyed the little orange canister on her desk.

" _You owe me this Annalise. For sleeping with my husband, that's bad enough. But really, for what you put him through. He had to go through that all alone. Sit in that courtroom all alone only because I wasn't there beside him. You did that."_

 _Annalise took in a deep breath before replying._

" _Listen. I can't imagine what you're feeling right now and—"_

" _Exactly." Nia interrupted. "So you don't get to say no. Oh please. The nurses are all on Nate's team….but you….you owe me this."_

 _End Flashback_

Annalise's hands were shaking. Oh how she desperately wished for a sip of vodka. Heck. A sip would do nothing. Perhaps a chug. No one would know.

She eyed the refrigerator critically. She knew bonnie had hidden her liquor stash away in the basement where she thought she wouldn't find it. But Annalise had already found it a week ago, when she had been down there rummaging some files for a case.

 _You owe me this._

Nia's words rang over and over in her head, like an ominous echo which just woudn't subside.

Her hands instead grabbed her phone and quickly dialed a number. Her hands shaking, she put the phone to her ears and prayed that the call wouldn't go to voicemail. After a few rings, a voice answered.

"Annalise?" Isaac's voice answered. "This is unusual. You don't usually call me when—"

But before he could continue, Annalise cut him off.

"I can't do this." she interjected.

"Do what?" Isaac asked, his voice growing thick with concern.

"Stay sober. I can't do this. I can't. I need to take a drink—"

"Annalise! Don't you dare touch a drink." Isaac replied cutting her off. His voice sounded almost angry with an undertone of concern. "Don't leave your house under any circumstances." his voice replied, sounding almost frantic.

" _I can't do this."_ Annalise replied, breaking down. Tears came to her eyes and slipped down her face.

Isaac heard Annalise crying over the other end. He began to sweat. He had to gain control of this situation, before it all went south.

He took a deep breath before continuing.

"Annalise. Calm down." his voice came, soothing. "You can do this Annalise. You can change. I believe in you." he replied softly.

"I can't." Annalise sobbed. "You deal with addicts every day. You know they don't change—"

"I changed." Isaac replied, cutting her off.

Annalise paused.

"What?" she asked.

"I changed." Isaac repeated. "I was a heroin addict before." he paused, taking in another deep breath and continuing. "I changed. I'm clean. And I believe if I can do it, so can you."

Annalise continued to sob on the other end.

Isaac's heart twisted with an unknown feeling. HE knew right here, right now, he had to to what he had to do. He could not and _would not_ give up on her.

"Annalise." Isaac continued. "I know its painful. Take it from me. Drugs work in much the same way as alcohol does. It helps you numb the pain." Isaac gulped painfully. "But it only lasts a short while. You can't just drown your troubles at the bottom of a bottle. Believe me. I've tried it and you don't want to walk down that road."

Annalise was silent for a few moments. Her sobbing seemed to have subsided. It was dead silent on the other hand. Isaac feared that Annalise had hung up.

"Annalise?"Isaac tried. "Are you there?"

There was a short pause before a reply was heard.

"I'm here." Annalise replied, stifling a sob.

Isaac sighed in relief.

"I won't do it." Annalise replied. "But don't think that it was because of your little sob story."

Isaac chuckled on the other end.

"Hey, if it works, who am I to say no." Isaac replied. "But seriously…are you all right?" he asked softly.

"I'm fine. Well. Maybe not fine. But I will be." Annalise replied.

"Ok then. I guess I'll be seeing you on Wednesday then." he replied. He was about to hang up when Annalise replied.

"Thank you."

Her voice sounded heavy with pain. But it was still sincere.

"Anytime Annalise. I'm your therapist after all." Isaac replied softly, before hanging up.

* * *

Isaac stared down at the phone. A wave of guilt and pain washed over him

He knew he should have been truthful to her. He was nothing but a liar. A hypocrite— for giving advice that he himself had never once followed.

* * *

 **Author's note:** **There. Now Annalise knows a little of Isaac's past. A shoutout to nastygustin once more for helping me come up with this chapter. Anyways, read and review.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Heroin and Vodka**

 **Author's note:** **Ok guys. I'm going to speed up the story a bit as I really didn't much like the season 2 Hapstall case. Don't worry, the case will feature now and then, giving you an idea of what the general outline is. Without further ado, let's begin.**

* * *

 **Chapter 5**

Annalise put away her laptop and walked into Isaac's office.

"How's the Hapstall case going?" Isaac asked as she took her seat.

"Hmm?" Annalise asked, as she looked up.

"You seemed to be working pretty hard out there." Isaac replied, indicating the hallway.

"You don't know what I was working on." Annalise replied sarcastically.

"Indeed I don't. Which brings us back to what happened last week…" Isaac trailed off, looking into her eyes.

Annalise averted his gaze.

She had been dreading this. She knew that Isaac was bound to bring this up sooner or later. She just didn't imagine it would be quite this early.

"It wasn't something important. I just felt like having a drink." Annalise lied.

Isaac eyed her critically.

"What? You don't believe me?" she asked.

"No." he replied flatly.

"Excuse me." Annalise countered.

"Annalise you're an alcoholic." Isaac replied. "Which makes you an expert in self-deception. But in in here I'm the expert. So quit deflecting and do the work to get better. Like you told me in our first session that you wanted to do."

"Well, you clearly have a theory. So why don't you tell me about it." Annalise countered.

Isaac nodded before replying.

"I'm concerned this case is designed to distract you from a recent loss you've experienced."

Annalise was silent. She was already dreading this line of conversation.

When Annalise didn't reply, Isaac turned away from her. He tuned to the desk beside him and turned over a file in his hand, spilling its contents on his lap. Taking one of the pieces of paper that fell over, he reached into his coat and pulled out his spectacles. Putting them on, he began to read out loud.

" _I drove to a friend's house and I stayed there several hours till I calmed down. And then I went back to the house after sometime And I just-I just…hoped that it wasn't true that he hadn't hurt that girl and we could make things right. I felt guilty for all the things I said to him."_ He stopped reading and looked up.

"These are your words during the detective's questioning." he informed her.

Annalise was silent for several seconds before she replied.

"You requested that transcript?" she asked.

"The Board sent it over after you were assigned to me." he replied after putting away his spectacles.

She looked up at him and finally met his gaze.

"What do you tell them about me?" she asked.

"Hey. I send them a progress report once a month. That's all." he replied placatingly.

Annalise nodded, averting his gaze once again.

"So…" Isaac continued "…this guilt you stated that you felt over Sam running away….did you just say that for the detective's benefit?"

"Of course not." Annalise replied, rolling her eyes.

"So you really feel that way?" Isaac asked.

" _What is this?"_ Annalise asked. "I was a suspect in my own husband's death. The DA framed me. Paid off people in my life to testify against me. My reputaition as a lawyer was soiled. All because of one thing I said. And—"

"I'm your therapist Annalise." Isaac cut in.

"So?" Annalise countered. " Better people than you have betrayed me. Sam. Bonnie—"

"Ok. Ok. I'm sorry. I'm sorry." he replied softly. "Just understand I understand how desertion leaves survivors with an ocean of pain. And I just wonder— could this be what's driving you to take on this case? Concrete ways to make amends—to distract yourself from this pain that you have clearly been suppressing. Its _this_ pain that resurfaced that night. This guilt that resurfaced in you that overwhelmed you and caught you off guard. That's what made you drink and—"

"Ok. Stop. Stop." Annalise cut in, "I discuss this enough with the detectives. I don't want to talk about it here as well." she replied, in a low voice.

Isaac caught the hint of something unknown in her face. It wasn't guilt or pain. Rather it was contempt. Anger. He decided wisely not to push her any further.

* * *

The water slid down her chin and fell down her bosoms. She was curled up in a fetal position as her mind flashed back to the events of the evening.

 _Flashback_

" _Hi." said a voice as Annalise walked in and placed and placed her bag on the table in her office. Turning to the voice, she noticed it was Bonnie. She had an odd, contemplative expression on her face. Her hands held a glass of vodka._

" _What's wrong"? Annalise asked._

 _She looked up at her, as if analyzing her for a few moments. After a short pause, she replied._

" _You told him." she said simply. Putting the glass away, she continued. "_ _ **I**_ _didn't convince him not to testify. That was you. You fixed it. Like always. Except this time_ _ **I**_ _was the card you traded."_

" _I traded your past but I saved your future." Annalise countered. "And it worked. Or else you'd be rotting in jail right now."_

 _Bonnie got up and came up to her._

" _I don't get to be mad about this. Is that what you're saying?"_

" _No." replied Annalise. "You don't get to be emotional about this. We were in a fix, what else could I have done?"_

" _ **Stop denying what you did!"**_ _Bonnie shouted back. "You exposed me."_

" _I didn't expose you. I saved you." Annalise fired back. "You killed a girl in my basement. Put a plastic bag over her head—"_

" _To protect you." Bonnie shouted back furiously._

" _And I did what I did to protect you." Annalise countered._

" _No." she replied, with a shake of her head, "You did this to ruin me. The one good thing I had in my life."_

" _Oh. Don't you dare. Everything good in your life is because of me." Annalise said scathingly._

" _You mean_ _ **despite you**_ _." Bonnie fired back._

The cool water began to unknot the tension in her gut as she continued down memory lane.

" _Everything that you're coming at me right now is because of what your father did to you .And you need to learn to deal with it." Annalise replied._

" _I deal with it every day."_

" _ **So do I. "**_ _Annalise shouted back at her. " You may hate me for it but it worked and—"_

" _Shut up. Shut up. SHUT UP!" screamed Bonnie._

She turned the knoib off as she stepped out of the shower.

" _I want you to die. That's what I want. And it was you that killed in this house. Not Sam cuz he…he'd never have done this to me." Bonnie replied before walking away from Annalise._

 _End Flashback_

She quickly got dressed, grabbed her keys and left.

* * *

"Patient notes for Annalise Keating." Isaac replied, speaking into his dictaphone. "Patient maintaining…tenuous sobriety. Continues to overwhelm herself with work. Once again she is prioritizing work instead of dealing with her own issues. If she continues down this path, I fear she will relapse. Or worse. Patient continues to isolate, refusing help. Probably a defense mechanism to protect herself from the severe trauma she harbors. Her grandiosity and workaholic tendencies make me wary about hypomania. When confronted with the possibility that the recent loss of her husband, Sam Keating, is pushing her to take on this extreme workload, the patient shut down." Here he paused, before continuing.

"Which is probably a good thing for me." He took in a deep breath. "The patient is a trigger for me. I need to be mindful."

Looking up, he noticed the buzzer at the end of the hallway light up.

"My new patient just arrived." Isaac replied, putting away the dictaphone. He walked over and opened the door.

It was Bonnie.

"Julie?" Isaac asked.

"Yes." she replied with a soft smile.

"Come in." Isaac replied.

* * *

 **Authors note:** **Great. Now Bonnie's in this mess too. I know I portrayed it in a similar manner as the show did but I was completely stuck on this. I had to get Bonnie involved and this was the only way to do so. Anyways. Read and review.**


	6. Chapter 6

**Heroin and Vodka**

 **Author's note:** **Ok. This will be the most recent update to this story as I have my exams coming up in May and I will not be able to update the story as frequently as I would like to. Despite that, I'll see if I can squeeze in a chapter here and there. With further ado, let's begin.**

* * *

 **Chapter 6**

" I wasn't honest with you." Bonnie replied, looking directly into Isaac's eyes. "I came here to hurt her."

Isaac gave her a puzzled look.

"Her? As in, Mae?" Isaac asked.

Bonnie gave a tiny nod.

* * *

"Nobody thought to call me?" Asher asked in a dead pan voice.

"It wasn't a party." Micheala replied, rolling her eyes.

"Ok. But I still work in this house too and it feels very mean that you guys don't call me for the cool crap."

Asher spotted Annalise exiting her office.

"Hey. I think I might have screwed up with Bonnie." Asher informed her.

"I know you screwed up with Bonnie. And we're not doing this now." she replied. She spotted the boxes piled up in the living room.

"Let me guess. From Sinclair?" she asked.

"More discovery on the Hapstalls." Laurel replied.

"She's trying to drown us in paper. Frank?" she asked, turning to face him. "When are we going to get the DNA results on Philip?"

"Just about to run down to the lab." Frank replied, raising a sealed plastic bag containing a straw,

"Bonnie would've already _been_ at the lab." Annalise replied.

Nodding, Frank left with Asher.

Annalise called Laurel into her office.

"I need you to be my new Bonnie." Annalise replied as soon as she walked in.

Laurel gave her a perplexed look.

"What happened to the old Bonnie?" she asked, curiously.

"She's out sick." Annalise replied, turning to her desk. " So can you handle it or should I ask Ms. Pratt?"

"No. I'll do whatever you need." Laurel replied.

* * *

Her call went to voicemail. Again.

"Bonnie it's me." Annalise replied, softly. "I'll give you space if that's what you need, but…. You know me…"

* * *

" _I screw up… And I'm here when your'e ready."_

Bonnie listened to the voicemail, tears in her eyes. Frustrated, she brushed the tears away furiously.

 _What does she know?_ she thought, bitterly. _She exposed me._

Isaac walked into the office.

"Sorry for the interruption, Julie. I usually don't get mail at this time." he replied with a chuckle. He sat down on the couch right next to her. His expression turned serious once again.

"What does that mean?" he asked, seriously. "That you came here to hurt her?"

Bonnie sighed.

"Julie, you understand its my duty to report if your'e a danger to yourself or others." Isaac replied, gravely.

"I didn't do anything to her. That's not what I meant." Bonnie replied.

"What was it that happened between you two that night?" he asked softly.

"Does it matter?" she asked.

"Of course it does." Isaac replied. "Come on. Talk to me."

"Maybe I just made it all up." Bonnie replied. " That we were the same. We were both abused. We both lost babies…but maybe that's what messed us up too. She wanted a child. And I wanted to be what she wanted…."

"Is that what you tried to be for her? Her child?" he asked.

"No." Bonnie replied, with a slight shake of her head. "That's not just what our relationship was about."

"What was it about then?" Isaac asked.

* * *

"Its time to break out the boobs again." Annalise told Micheala as she walked into her house. "Go to the mansion and convince him not to take the deal."

"On it." Micheala replied.

"What if he's guilty though?" Wes piped in.

"He's not guilty." Micheala replied.

"Then why else is he even considering it?" Wes countered.

"Innocent people take bad plea deals all the time." Annalise cut in. "Go. Make me proud." She replied, turning to Micheala.

* * *

"Tell me a good memory about Mae." Isaac cut in, interrupting her

Bonnie looked up at her. There was a slight frown on her face.

"Why would you ask me that?"

"To remind you that all those years with Mae weren't all that bad." Isaac replied.

"Of course they weren't." Bonnie replied.

"But you're beating yourself up for connecting with her in the first place." Isaac countered. "You understand why she behaves the way she does. It's what bonded you two in the first place."

Bonnie sighed.

"How is this supposed to help me right now?" Bonnie asked skeptically.

"You came to therapy to get over Mae. Not to hurt her." Isaac replied.

"Its not true." She replied, with a shake of her head.

"I think it is." Isaac replied. "I think you're a much more emotionally aware person than you give yourself credit for.

"So stop getting me to visit the good times I had with her. That's not helpful right now." she replied. "Just like it wouldn't help me to revisit the good times I had with my father."

"Now those are two completely different relationships." Isaac replied softly.

"Both were abusive." Bonnie replied. " After all that's the reason why I let her into my life. I was so desperate for someone who wouldn't rape me that I took what I could get and that's not love. That's…trauma. And that is what you should be telling me right now. That I'm right to hate her, that I'm right in wanting to hurt her."

"Your'e justified in feeling betrayed. I'm with you on that." Isaac replied softly.

"Then stop this, please." she replied. "Because I can't stand another person being on her side right now. She betrayed my trust. My deepest, darkest thoughts. She revealed them. And for what….for her own selfish reasons… _to win a case?!"_ she shrieked.

Isaac was silent for a few moments as he allowed her to cool off.

"She threw me under the bus. I mean, how could she?" Bonnie sobbed, tears rolling down her eyes. "After all these years…" she trailed off.

"Have you perhaps considered that she might not have had a choice u=in the matter? That perhaps she had no other card left to play?" Isaac asked softly.

"She _had_ other cards. She just sold me out. Like I was nothing. That's why I told her to die. She doesn't understand me. She doesn't understand anyone. She doesn't know how to love someone. She's manipulative and narcissistic…and I wish…I-I wish I had never let her into my life."

Isaac was silent for a few moments before he replied.

"I think you need to cool off for a while, Julie. Maybe we can begin on this note, for our next session?" Isaac asked.

Bonnie nodded.

* * *

Bonnie had just exited Isaac's premises when her phone beeped. Fishing it out of her bag, she noticed that it was a voicemail from Asher. She had been ignoring calls from the others recently as she had been too out of it to respond. But this voicemail felt different. Asher had never tried to contact her _this_ late _._ She clicked on the voicemail and put the phone to her ears.

" _Bon, its me Asher. I-I messed up, real bad…."_ Asher's voice came out in a sob on the other end.

Bonnie's blood froze.

" _Its Sinclair. I-I ran her over."_

* * *

 **Author's note:** **There you go guys. Obviously Isaac is not going to able to figure out Bonnie's identity so easily. That's something I altered here. Anyways, the big night has finally arrived—Murder Night 2.0. And lets just say, things will be getting pretty spicy from here on out.**


	7. Chapter 7

**Heroin and Vodka**

 **Author's note:** **Ok. After a long break, my exams are finally over and I can resume updating this story. Don't worry. I'm not dumping it any time soon. Besides I was saving this special chapter for this moment only. So enjoy.**

* * *

 **Chapter 7**

 _Earlier that day…_

Isaac was walking downstairs.

"Now is not the time to discuss this." Isaac replied, in a slightly irritated tone. "You know what you're doing. You know it's wrong." There was a pause. Isaac huffed impatiently.

"Well, you keep going like this and I'll stop picking up your calls. No. She's not in yet, she's running late today. Look we'll talk later. Ok?" He hung up.

Isaac sighed as he glanced at the clock.

It was 9:15 AM.

 _Odd._ Isaac thought. _She's never been late, except during our first session. Where are you Annalise?_

* * *

 _9:11 PM…_

Bonnie pulled up beside Asher's car. She got out. The driveway was eerily silent. Nearby, she spotted Asher's Prius. It was blinking.

Walking up to it, she spotted Asher. He was staring down at his wheel pointedly. His face was all sweaty and he was shaking slightly.

"Hi." she said softly.

Asher looked up at her.

"I can't look." he replied.

"Don't worry." she replied calmly. "You don't have to."

She glanced over sideways before bending down and examining the bottom of the car.

"Is she alive? Please tell me she's alive and we just have to call an ambulance." Asher replied.

There lay Sinclair, with her eyes half open. Spit was flowing down her chin and onto the driveway.

She got back up.

"Asher…" Bonnie began, softly.

"No, no, no, no, no, no. Check her pulse." Asher replied, in denial.

"I don't have to." Bonnie replied. "She's gone."

"Oh god." Asher replied with a sigh. "Oh god. Oh god. I did that—"

"Hey—" Bonnie answered softly.

"You need to go." Asher replied immediately.

"Stop." Bonnie began.

I need to call the police and—" Bonnie cut him off.

"Listen to me. I'm your lawyer. And I'm advising you not to do anything yet." she began. "You just do what I tell you to. OK?"

Asher gave a slight nod.

* * *

 _9:17 PM…_

At the Hapstall Mansion, Annalise was checking an article on Asher's recently dead dad who had just committed suicide that very morning. Suddenly the phone began to buzz. I was Isaac.

Annalise sighed.

She knew why he was calling. She had missed her session earlier that morning. What with all this mess with Philip and Nate and the gun and Catherine running away….she just hadn't been able to handle seeing him, afraid she would spill everything to him. Not to mention, she had to find a way to fix this mess before it was too late.

She cancelled the call

The phone began to vibrate again.

She huffed, annoyed.

"Isaac? What is it? I'm busy. I'll come over tomorrow and—"

" _No, Annalise. It's me."_ The voice replied, cutting her off.

"Bonnie?" she asked.

" _Sinclaire's dead." Bonnie replied in a grave tone._

Annalise froze.

"What?" she asked, in shock.

" _Asher hit her with his car ." Bonnie continued. "He called me to help. He wants to go to the police but you know what will happen if he does. He's going to tell them everything, Annalise— that I killed Sam, that you made him not testify. It'll all come out. We'll go to jail."_

The room began to spin as Bonnie continued talking.

"… _What do I do Annalise? Just tell me. Do I make it look like a hit and run? Do I go to the police and tell them everything? But_ _ **you**_ _need to tell me to do that."_

Annalise took a deep breath.

"Sit tight. I'll call you back." she replied, hanging up.

Annalise gazed at the room around her. Her vision began to blur.

 _Asher's dad killed himself…_

 _Sinclaire suspects I messed with Philip's records. I blew up at her in front of the whole station._

… _Make it look like a hit and run…_

She steadied herself. Unlocking her phone, she dialed the one person she could rely on at this moment.

"Frank? Tell me you're still at the house."

* * *

"You don't have to do that." Laurel replied.

Micheala was busy vigorously wiping the glass table in the living room with a napkin in a vain attempt to wipe out all the fingerprints.

"I want to." She replied.

"We were here all day. Our finger prints are supposed to be all over the place." Laurel countered.

"It doesn't matter anyway." Conner replied, cutting in. "This won't work."

"You're right." Annalise replied, walking in, gun in hand. "It won't work. Not unless we do something to make them believe it."

She walked up to them and began dialing a number.

"What are you doing?" Micheala asked.

"Who are you calling?" Conner followed up.

"Help." Annalise replied, sobbing. "I've been shot."

Laurel's eyes widened.

"This is Annalise Keating. And my client, Catherine Hapstall, she shot me. I'm here at her house, the A.D.A's here too. Please hurry." She hung up. She looked up at the rest them.

"There." she replied, confidently. "Now it'll work."

She walked up to Conner.

"Shoot me." she replied, handing over the gun to him.

Conner eyed her as if she was crazy.

"No." he replied.

"I'm the woman who ruined your life and I'll ruin Oliver's too."

"You've lost your mind." Conner replied, with gritted teeth.

"Felony computer hacking, falsifying records and that face. The friends he'd make behind bars—"

"You don't go near him!" Conner shouted, advancing upon her.

" **Just take this gun and shoot me."** Annalise shouted back.

Frustrated, he grabbed the gun.

"Ok. I'm going to do it." he replied, aiming the gun at her.

Micheala immediately stepped between the two.

"No, no. no. no. Conner. Please don't." she begged, sobbing.

Conner dropped the gun in shock, and left the room.

Annalise immediately turned to Micheala.

"Micheala , think about your futer. You'll be in jail and—"

" **I'll be in jail, then fine. I'll tell them everything."** she shouted back, following after Conner.

Annalise turned to Laurel.

"Laurel, you've been in worse situations with your father. And you've always helped us. I need you to do it one more time."

Laurel looked over at the gun in Wes's hand.

"Maybe we should go to jail. For everything…Maybe that's okay…" she replied, softly. She backed away.

"No…" Annalise replied, sobbing. "Give me the gun."

"No." Wes replied, backing out of the room.

"Rebecca's dead. Wes." Annalise spoke out.

Wes stopped. He slowly turned back to gaze at her, eyes wide.

"I made it up that she ran away. I've been lying to you this whole time. Every time you asked me about her, she's been dead the whole time."

Wes advanced on her, raising the gun.

"Shoot me. I deserve it." She replied, readying herself.

"Wes. Please don't do it." Laurel begged, trying to make Wes see reason, but failing miserably. "She's just saying that to make you do it."

* * *

A shot rang out in the clear, dark night.

* * *

Isaac was just about to turn in. He glanced at his phone.

Isaac was worried. He had tried contacting Annalise multiple times. Each time it had gone to voicemail.

He decided to try one last time.

Dialing her number, he waited expectantly.

On the fifth ring, he sighed. He was about to hang up when a voice answered.

"Who is this?" a male voice asked.

"Umm…this is Isaac Roa." Isaac replied expectantly. "I was hoping to speak to Miss Keating."

"I'm sorry, but Annalise cannot answer at this very moment. Good bye." He was about to hang up, when Isaac called out.

"Wait. Wait. Can I just reschedule an appointment she had with me this morning? I'm her therapist."

"Oh…" a tone of recognition was heard in his voice. " _You're_ the therapist that Annalise told me about. Well. I'm sorry, Dr. Roa but your appointment will have to wait for a while." His voice became grave. "Annalise has been shot."

Isaac froze, his heart stopping for a moment.

"I-I'm sorry?" he asked, hoping he had misheard.

"You heard right. Annalise has been shot and she won't be able—"

"Which hospital?" Isaac cut in.

"I'm sorry?" the voice asked in confusion.

"Which hospital is she admitted in?" he asked, wiping sweat from his brow.

"St. Edith's Hospital. Why do you—" the voice asked, before interrupting him once agin.

"May I know who this is that I'm speaking to?" Isaac asked.

"This is Frank Delfino. I'm Annalise's associate." the voice replied.

Isaac hung up.

* * *

Isaac rushed into St. Edith's Hospital.

 _You're getting too close to her…_

 _She's triggering you Isaac._

He rushed upto the reception and asked for Annalise. The receptionist gave him the number to her room.

He found a man pacing the door outside. He rushed up to him.

"Frank Delfino?" he asked in a huff.

The man turned to face him. A look of recognition dawned upon his face.

"Dr. Roa?" he asked.

"Yes. I am him." he replied, before catching his breath. He turned to the door. "How is she?" he asked softly.

"She's out of danger." Frank informed him. "The bullet fortunately passed through her, so it was a clean injury."

"May I go in and see her?" Isaac asked softly.

Frank raised his eyebrows.

"Umm…yeah sure…but she's on meds right now and hasn't gained consciousness yet. You'd be wasting your time." he replied with a shrug.

"Thank you." Isaac replied, turning to the door. Taking a deep breath, he walked in.

Annalise was propped on the bed in hospital gown. She was unconscious. Glancing at her waist, he noticed it was heavily bandaged with gauze.

 _Guess that's where she was shot,_ he thought wryly.

Sitting down on the seat beside the bed, he glanced at her face. She looked so calm while she was asleep that Isaac found it hard to believe that she was actually a troubled alcoholic.

He noticed a strand of hair which had fallen out of place. He reached out gently and pulled it back around her ears.

The door opened.

Isaac's eyes widened as he noticed who it was.

"Julie?" he asked in shock.

* * *

 **Author's note:** **There you go. The season mid-finale. Bet you all did'nt see that coming. Now Julie(ahem—Bonnie) will have quite some explaining to do in the following chapter. Hope you all enjoyed it. Do review as I'd love to know your feedbacks.**


	8. Chapter 8

**Heroin and Vodka**

 **Author's note:** **Hey guys. I know its been a while since my last update but I've joined this new internship as a part of my summer program and was quite busy for the last week. But now that the first week is over, I'm free to resume updating. So, enjoy.**

* * *

 **Chapter 8**

"Julie?" Isaac asked in surprise.

Bonnie glanced from Isaac to Annalise and then back at Isaac, her hands shaking slightly.

A knock was heard on the door. Frank walked in.

"Bonnie, Annalise hasn't woken up yet. She took quite a shot, you know."

Bonnie nodded mutely, eyes drifting towards Isaac once more. Frank caught the sideways glance.

"Do you two…ummm….know each other?" he asked.

Isaac shifted slightly in his seat before speaking.

"Yes. You could say we've met before."

At that, Bonnie seemed to snap out of her trance.

"Umm…Dr. Roa, if you wouldn't mind, could you please step outside for a word?" Bonnie asked.

Isaac turned to glare at Bonnie as he got up. Silently the tow walked out.

Frank meanwhile took Isaac'c seat.

"Those two must be doing it." He said, with a shrug. 

* * *

As soon as the two walked out the door, Isaac turned on Bonnie immediately.

"So 'Julie'…or 'Bonnie' or whatever your name is that you're going to spout next, I suggest you start talking fast. Now." Isaac replied, with a heated glare.

Bonnie sighed.

"My name is Bonnie Winterbottom. I work for Annalise and I'm her associate."

Isaac's eyes widened, the dots in his head connecting, the pieces falling into place one after the other. He glanced through the window at Annalise's still frame.

"So…when you were speaking about Mae…" Isaac began "Mae is-"

"Annalise Keating. Yes." Bonnie finished with a sigh.

Isaac paled at that information.

"You can't imagine how much of a help you've been to me." Bonnie started.

Isaac continued to glare at her.

"You need much more than my help." He replied in a low growl.

Bonnie stiffened at that.

"Oh yeah?" she replied, her voice turning cold. "And what is it that _you're_ doing here Dr. Roa?"

Isaac froze at that.

"You're Annalise's therapist, aren't you? That doesn't explain what you're doing here right now. Tell me, Dr. Roa. Are you stalking Annalise?" Bonnie continued.

Isaac's eyes widened at that before narrowing. When he spoke, his voice was just as harsh as Bonnie's.

"I am just here to check up on my patient." he replied angrily.

"Really?" Bonnie drawled. "Doesn't seem likely to me. Aren't you a doctor of _psychology_? Then why are you here right now at the ICU? Seems like staking to me."

Isaac was silent.

"I could report you to the Ethics Board for gross violation. I could have your license, you know."

This time Isaac lashed out in a low growl.

"I could do the same to you. For assuming a false identity and attempting to ruin one of my patient's lives." he countered.

"I wasn't trying to-" Bonnie began, but was cut off by Isaac.

"Oh don't you dare lie to me. " _I came here to hurt her."_ Those were your exact words at our last session. You've been lying to me since day one. Who do you think the Ethics Board will side with? Because I don't like your chances as you are right now."

Bonnie was silent for a few moments before she replied.

"I'll cover you if you cover me."

"What?" Isaac asked confused.

"I'll back up your story so long as you don't tell Frank or Annalise anything. Especially Annalise." She reiterated. "Got it?" she asked.

Isaac nodded mutely. He turned to leave before stopping. He turned back around.

"Bonnie, I can't be your therapist anymore." he replied softly.

Bonnie stiffened at that.

"But you know the whole truth now-" she began, but was cut off.

"That's not the case." he replied. "I cannot represent both you and Annalise at the same time. It's a conflict of interest. You should know that, being a lawyer."

Bonnie sighed before nodding.

"Don't worry. I'm not abandoning you." he replied, softly. He reached into his coat and pulled out a card. "This is a few of my therapist contacts. Give one of them a call when you can." he said, handing the card over to her.

Bonnie took the card.

Isaac turned around and walked back down the hallway before walking down the stairs.

Bonnie watched him retreat with a sigh.

 _Well,_ she thought with a wry grin, _It could have gone much worse._ She turned around and re-entered Annalise's cabin.

* * *

When Isaac came home, he deposited his keys on the table and occupied his usual seat in his office.

Bonnie's words were still ringing in his mind.

 _And what is it that you're doing here Dr. Roa?_

 _You're Annalise's therapist, aren't you? That doesn't explain what you're doing here right now. Tell me, Dr. Roa. Are you stalking Annalise?_

He hadn't been able to explain himself. Technically speaking, he shouldn't have been there. Yet, when he had received the call from Frank, he had been unable to stop himself. When he heard she had been shot, his heart had skipped a beat momentarily.

Another voice rang out in his mind. A distinctly soft, feminine voice.

 _She's triggering you, Isaac…_

Reaching out, hands shaking slightly, he grabbed his phone and dialed a number quickly. He hoped and prayed that the call would be answered. After a few rings, the call connected.

"Isaac?" a female voice spoke.

Isaac took a deep breath before speaking.

"We need to talk, Jacqueline."

* * *

 **Authors note:** **There you go. The truth, or at least some of it, is out now. I know this is a short chapter. But I promise the next one will be longer . Anyways, read and review. I'd love some feedback.**


	9. Chapter 9

**Heroin and Vodka**

 **Author's note: ****Hey guys. The story is progressing along at a brisk pace. And I just finished adding up a few extra touches to a couple of future updates. Major things, as I mentioned before will remain unaltered. But there will be a few changes in the timeline here and there. Anyway, without further ado, let's begin.**

* * *

 **Chapter 9:**

 _2 weeks later…_

"…Annalise…" a voice asked.

 _Ugh…_ thought Annalise _let me sleep._

"Annalise…" the voice repeated gently. Her eyes fluttered open.

"We're home." Bonnie replied.

Bonnie got out of the car and helped her in.

Turning the hallway, Annalise spotted the couch. A blanket was laid out and a pillow was laid back at one end.

"I don't want a nurse." she replied immediately. "I don't want a stranger living in my house."

Bonnie rolled her eyes.

"Its for _you._ No stairs, remember?" she asserted. Turning on her, she began to pour out the meds from the packet she had brought in.

"Now let's set you up with a Vicodin." She replied, grabbing one of the bottles and pouring out a pill. She handed it to Annalise. "You can take another one in six hours."

Annalise popped the pill into her mouth and chugged it down with some water.

"And don't you _dare_ touch a drink while you're on the antibiotics…"

It was Annalise's turn to roll her eyes. Bonnie missed it.

"…which you take two of each day along with the anti-inflammatory." she replied, turning back around. "I wrote it all down for you." she finished.

Annalise nodded. Walking towards her office, she attempted to pull off her coat.

"Here. Let me help you with that." Bonnie offered.

"Oh no, Bonnie. Its alright." she replied, taking the coat off. She turned to her.

"When's the hearing tomorrow?" she asked apprehensively.

"11:00 am." Bonnie replied. "I still think we can ask to push it."

"Oh no." Annalise replied, with a shake of her head. "I did not go through all this to not testify."

Bonnie shifted a bit.

"Asher?" Annalise asked.

"He's fine. All the kids are. They are over at Frank's right now." Bonnie informed her.

Annalise nodded.

"You should go." Annalise replied.

"You need to eat." Bonnie countered, walking into the hallway.

"That's what the deliverymen are for." Annalise fired back.

"Someone needs to change your bandages." Bonnie added.

"I have two hands, you know?" Annalise replied, in a deadpan. "Please…" she added softly. "Just-just don't want to have to beg for peace in my own home. Go." She pulled the door open.

Bonnie sighed.

"My phone is on." Bonnie replied, walking out "Call me whenever—"

"I will." _Not_ , she added mentally.

Bonnie walked out. Annalise shut the door behind her. She rested her head against the cool ebony.

 _BANG!_

Annalise began to hyperventilate.

 _She's dying. She's dying…_

 _We need to leave. Right now._

 _Is she going to be ok? Tell me she's going to be ok!_

Annalise steadily walked over to the couch and sat down. Growing restless, she soon got up and began to pace the living room. She walked over to the cooler where she knew the drinks were stored.

 _I'm sure he wouldn't mind me slipping off the wagon just this once._ She thought wryly.

She grabbed the door and opened it to find it empty.

 _Oh Bonnie_ , she sighed in frustration.

She walked back over to the couch and grabbed the Vicodin container. She shook the container. Two popped out. Annalise swallowed.

 _Ah, what the hell,_ she thought popping both in and chugging it down with some water. Drowsiness overcame her and she fell asleep.

* * *

Isaac walked up the steps leading to the porch and rang the bell. Once. Twice. Thrice.

No reply.

He knew for a fact that Annalise had been discharged that very day and he had decided to pay her a visit. He had brought along a bouquet of daisies as a get-well sign.

Now if only she would open the door.

He tried the door. It was unlocked.

He hesitated.

His ethical consciousness was screaming at him to not take a step further. But he paid no heed to his better senses.

He walked in.

"Annalise?" he called out, as he walked into the hallway.

No reply came.

"Annalise?" he tried again, entering the living room. His eyes drifted to the couch, spotting her at once.

She was laid out on the couch, the blanket having slipped off. Her hair was in a mess and her mouth was slightly open.

Isaac sighed.

 _Bad time for a visit, I guess._

He was just about to turn around to leave, when he suddenly caught a movement out of the corner of his eyes. It was Annalise.

She had sprung up, awake. Isaac gazed at her, uneasily.

"Oh. Hey Annalise…I just wanted to drop by and give you these." he montined to the flowers in hios hands. "Sorry I let myself in but the door was unlocked and—"

Isaac stopped abruptly, as Annalise suddenly sprang up, pusing him aside and rushing to the door.

Dazed, Isaac followed. He spotted Annalise on the porch engaged in a fierce monologue.

"No I can't….Well, call the police…..You can't just give him to me." She began to make wild gestures with her hands.

 _What is she doing?_ Isaac thought, puzzled.

"NO. WAIT!" she began to scream. "I CAN'T TAKE HIM. I'M NOT RIGHT FOR HIM."

"Annalise!" Isaac shouted out.

Finally Annalise turned to him. As if in a trance, she walked over to him. Her arms were cupped at an odd angle, almost as if she were holding something.

"Here." she replied, in a slur. "Take him. I can't deal with a baby of all things today. I've got to prepare for the hearing tomorrow." She made an awkward gesture with her arms, as if she were passing something over to him. Confused, Isaac complied.

Annalise walked back into the house.

Quickly, Isaac followed her back in and spotted her on the couch once more. She had fallen back asleep.

 _How could she be sleeping after all this?_ Isaac thought in wonder. _Was she sleepwalking or something?  
But her eyes were wide open and she—_

His train of thought was cut short, as his eyes fell on the small table propped up beside the couch on which rested a bottle. It was open.

 _Oh boy_ he thought, with a wry grin, _She's high on Vicodin._

He walked up to couch and knelt down. He shook her shoulders gently.

"Annalise?" he asked softly.

Annalise grumbled.

"Let me sleep." she replied, in a groggy voice.

Isaac chuckled.

"Hey. C'mon now. Wake up." he tried again. This time she awoke. Wiping her hands across her eyes, her vision refocused on him.

"Isaac? What are you doing here?"

Isaac chuckled.

"I'm sorry I let myself in. But you wouldn't answer the door." he replied, gesturing towards the door. "Besides, I wanted to give you these." Saying so, he handed the bouquet of daisies over to her.

A soft smile appeared on Annalise's face as she smelt the daisies. They had a coy, sweet smell.

Isaac observed her softly, a similar smile appearing on his own face. She turned to face him.

"I'm sorry I missed our last few sessions. I—" but Isaac cut her off.

"Hey now." he replied gently, waving her off. " We'll have plenty of time for those. You just need to rest meanwhile and get better. "

Annalise nodded. She put the flowers on the couch, and attempted to get up, when she suddenly winced in pain, her hand grabbing her abdomen immediately. She lost her balance and was about to hit the floor when a pair of strong hands reached out and caught her. Looking up, she saw Isaac. He had a worried look on his face.

"What's wrong Annalise?" he asked in concern.

"Its nothing." Annalise replied, steadying herself.

"Its not _nothing_." His gaze immediately fell on her hands on her abdomen. His eyes widened.

"Annalise…are you in pain?" he asked, shocked.

Before she could reply, Isaac grabbed her hands and Pulled them away, raising her shirt.

The wound was bleeding, blood soaking out of the wrappings.

"Annalise, you need to change your bandages _right now_. The gauze is wearing out." he replied, grabbing a pair of bandages from the countertop.

"Don't be silly. I can do it on my own." she replied, pushing him away. Isaac rolled his eyes.

"I don't think so." he replied, pushing her hands away and applying the roll to her stomach. "I would be a terrible doctor if I didn't take care of my own patient."

He continued to wrap the bandages around her stomach, peeling away the older ones steadily.

"There." he replied, cutting away the rest of the roll with a pair of scissors lying on the countertop. "All better."

Annalise looked down at her abdomen. The bandages looked fine and she wasn't bleeding anymore. She looked up at Isaac.

"Thank you." she replied softly.

Isaac waver her off. "Don't mention it. I was only doing my duty." He got back up.

"You're leaving?" Annalise was surprised at the soft note of disappointment which came across her voice.

"Yes I'm afraid so. I have a new patient I'm supposed to be attending to. Sorry." he replied apologetically.

"No. It's quite alright. Thanks for the flowers by the way." she replied, gesturing to the flowers.

Isaac chuckled.

"Take care of yourself, Annalise." he replied, before leaving.

Before opening the door, Isaac looked back at the living room, one thought ringing across his mind.

 _What happened to you Annalise?_

* * *

He had just crossed the threshold, when he spotted Bonnie pulling up. Bonnie spotted him and got out of the car.

"Isaac. What are you doing here?"

Isaac got down the steps. His eyes met Bonnie's, a small frown forming on his face.

"I just came by to drop off some flowers and wish her better."

Bonnie nodded. She was just about to step in when Isaac called out.

"She was acting strange, you know."

Bonnie stopped and turned back around to face him.

"Strange?" she questioned, "As in?"

"She was high on pain meds and was hallucinating, I believe. Something about a baby?" he asked. Bonnie's eyes widened at that. Isaac caught her look. He frowned.

"Bonnie. What is it that you're not telling me?"

Bonnie shook her head.

"I'm not the one whom you should be asking that to." She turned around, walking back into the house, leaving Isaac in deep thought.

* * *

 **Author's note:** **There you go. Phew! This chapter took quite a few hours to type out. Quite a lot happened in this chapter. As you can see things are slowly heating up between Isaac and Annalise. I debated whether I should have Bonnie tell Isaac about Annalise's past and the whole baby thing, but ultimately decided it would be better off coming from Annalise herself, as that would really form a bond between the two. Anyways, I hope you guys enjoyed it. Do leave a review as I'd love your feedback.**


	10. Chapter 10

**Heroin and Vodka**

 **Author's note:** **Ok. I'm updating rather quickly here. I'm on a tight schedule due to my internship and haven't got much free time as it stands. So, the pace might be hindered once in a while. Bear with me. Anyways, enjoy.**

 **Chapter 10**

 _Flashback begins_

" _What's wrong?" Annalise asked, in a daze, gazing up at Bonnie. "Did you do something to him?"_

 _Bonnie was silent for a while before she replied in a grave voice._

" _There is no baby Annalise."_

" _No. Unh-unh." Annalise replied in denial. "Bonnie…I-I told you there was a woman at the door and she was hysterical and she put the baby in my arms—"_

" _No. It was in your head." Bonnie cut across._

"— _and I didn't want the baby and…" Annalise continued, not noticing the interruption._

" _It was in your head. Like last time."_

 _End Flashback_

"Annalise?" Isaac asked.

Isaac's voice snapped Annalise out of her trance.

"Oh. What? Sorry I must have spaced out." Annalise replied, regaining her senses.

"Not a concern. I deal with it on a daily basis." He replied with a chuckle. "How are you feeling, Annalise? He asked softly. "Our sessions can wait if you wish to take a few more days of rest and—"

"No." Annalise replied, cutting across. "I'm fine now. Been cooped up in my house for two weeks isn't my idea of a vacation." Annalise replied with a sigh.

Isaac gave a wry smile.

"Ok then. Since you've given me the green signal, I'd like to take a new approach today. It's what I prefer to call reversion therapy. So, what you have to do is describe a memory of yours. Is there any particular memory that's been bothering you for years? Something that you wish to forget, something that you wished never happened?" Isaac probed.

Annalise was silent for a few moments, before she dug into her bag. She took out a photograph and handed it to Isaac.

Isaac gazed at it intently for a few seconds.

It was a picture of Annalise wearing a hospital gown, lying on a bed. She looked weary and tired. To her left was a man wearing a hospital gown as well. He immediately recognized the man as Sam Keating, Annalise's deceased husband. He had a grim look on his face. But what caught Isaac's attention was the thing she held in her hands.

It was a baby.

 _A newborn by the looks of it_ …Isaac thought fondly. A thought struck him all of a sudden.

 _Is this….?_

"Had a car accident at eight months. He died." Annalise's voice snapped Isaac out of his thoughts.

Isaac met Annalise's eyes. They held an unknown emotion in them, that he couldn't quite decipher.

"I'm sorry." he replied, softly. His voice quivered a bit.

"I know you're just doing your job, bringing up Sam and my uncle…" she continued, "…But this…It was years of feeling like my body was broken. Sticking myself with needles. Fighting with Sam about it. T-This wasn't even w-what I wanted." She replied, her voice breaking.

Isaac's heart twisted in pain, unwanted memories surfacing to his mind.

 _Start flashback_

" _Look daddy." a girl, not more than seven years of age, cried out in joy as she rode a bicycle. "I'm doing it. I'm riding a bicycle!" She burst into a peal of laughter as she began to ride faster nad faster down the lane._

" _Stella, be careful. Ok?" Isaac called out in worry._

…

 _A pale face swam into his vision, its lifeless eyes staring accusingly up at him._

" _Stella!" a voice cried out, in agony._

"….To finally hearing his heart beat."

Annalise's voice jolted Isaac back to the present. Isaac couldn't bear to meet her eyes, knowing the pain that he would see in them.

"That was a _real_ loss. Of him. Me. Who I was before all this. Dead. I killed us both."

"Were you drinking?" Isaac enquired.

"No. Someone hit me." Annalise informed.

"So it _was_ an accident. You didn't—"

" _No. Stop!"_ Annalise replied forcefully, cutting Isaac across. " I'm opening up like you want me to. Yo-You keep steering me someplace….to get me to feel something that you think I should be feeling. _Let me feel guilty!_

"I'm sorry." Isaac apologized. "I don't mean to make you feel—"

"Well you do!" Annalise interrupted. "So does everyone. The whole world. Always making me feel I'm not right the way I am. Sam wanted me to be a mother. My clients wanted me to be a hero. My students want me to be an inspiration. _**I can't be all those things. I can't be strong all the time!**_ " Annalise finished. She looked up at Isaac.

"Now say something…" she broke off.

Isaac finally met Annalise's gaze.

"I think you're stronger than anyone else would be in your shoes." Isaac replied softly.

"I'm not." Annalise replied stubbornly.

"Look at the evidence. Everything you've survived." Isaac continued, trying to make Annalise see reason. "You lost a child. That pain alone is enough to level a parent. But you got up and fought for your life."

"I tried to _take_ my life." Annalise added, gravely.

Isaac stopped, an inquiring look on his face.

"After that picture…It was my worst nightmare that followed me home. To an empty nursery. A body producing milk for a child that wasn't there. Sam watching over me every minute, trying to fix it…." She took a deep breath. " Oh, I want to drink."

She began to sob.

Isaac's heart twisted painfully, as he continued to listen.

"Because… as a mother, I just… I wanted to die with my son. And I really t-tried." She took another deep breath. "Sleeping pills. Bonnie found me on the bathroom floor and took me to the never knew.

Annalise was silent after that. Tears were streaming down her face.

Isaac gulped painfully before taking a deep breath and looking back up at Annalise.

"I'm so sorry Annlise. I know that must have been difficult to recount. But the loss of your child is something we haven't discussed and rather than have that grief resurface when it can really upend your sobriety, I want to encourage you to deal with it now. I'm going to give you some homework.

Annalise sighed.

"I'm on a case right now. I don't want homework as well." she replied, rolling her eyes.

Isaac gave a dry grin.

"I want you to write a letter to your baby. Right from your gut. How you feel about everything that's happened to you since he passed. All the issues that feel unresolved. We'll see what comes up."

Whether she found the instructions odd or not, Annalise didn't show. She merely nodded.

* * *

"She's suicidal?" a woman asked, skeptically.

She was a tall woman. Middle aged with blonde hair. She looked to be nearly fifty.

"She was." Isaac replied, hesitantly.

"Ok, this is why she needs a new therapist." The woman replied, in a sigh.

"She's got no one on her side right now, Jacqueline." Isaac informed her.

The woman, now identified as Jacqueline, frowned.

"What would you say to your colleague who walked into your office, profoundly depressed.? Annalise triggering them session after session. You would tell them to extricate themselves from the situation immediately."

"I have a duty to my patient." Isaac replied after a short pause.

"You have a duty to _yourself_." Jacqueline countered.

"I'm _fine_." Isaac insisted.

"Isaac." Jacqueline replied, standing up. "You came to me for help."

" _Because you're the only one who can understand!"_ Isaac replied in frustration _._

"What if _I don't want to_? Has that ever crossed your mind?" Jacqueline fired back. "Maybe talking to you about dead children and suicide isn't in _my_ best interest?"

"Well then, tell me that." Isaac countered.

"You are on the edge here." Jacqueline asserted, trying to make him see reason but failing miserably. " _You_ might not remember what that looks like but _I_ do."

Isaac crossed his arms and frowned.

"I am seeing that man again. He is tired, overwhelmed and on the verge of becoming very, very sick. You might be able to handle that but I can't."

Isaac nodded along, having had enough. He stood up.

"I hear you." he replied.

"Isaac sit down." Jacqueline replied, trying to placate him.

Isaac shook his head.

"You take care of yourself." he replied, turning around and leaving.


	11. Chapter 11

**Heroin and Vodka**

 **Author's note:** **Ok. I know its been some time since I last updated. But my internship is almost done with and I'm going to be out of town for the next couple of weeks. So I plan to dole out TWO chapters instead of one to keep you guys busy. So, without further ado, I give you chapter 11!**

* * *

 **Chapter 11**

Annalise walked up the steps leading to her door. She had just returned from another session and she was actually feeling…happy for a change. Her life had recently taken the turn for the better and opening up to Isaac about her dead child had actually been a relief to her. While she had been unable to write a letter to her dead son, Isaac had informed her to not get too worked up over it and that she was progressing quite well.

 _Start Flashback_

 _Annalise had just finished her session and was about to leave when Isaac called out to her. Annalise turned around._

" _Annalise… I just wanted to inform you that you are progressing really well. I have never had a patient before who has been so…compliant and willing. It's a miracle that you haven't fallen off the wagon already given the state of your life." He took a deep breath. "I guess…all I wanted to say…is that I'm proud of you." he replied softly, with a gentle smile on his face._

 _Annalise's eyes softened as she gazed up at the man._

" _Well…its not all me. The ice cream's helped a lot too, you know." she replied with a wry grin._

 _Isaac chuckled._

 _End Flashback_

As she approached the door, she noticed a woman standing outside her door, on the porch. She looked to be around middle aged and had soft wavy blonde hair.

Annalise gazed up at the woman.

"Can I help you?" she asked.

The woman came forward.

"I certainly hope so." She took a deep breath. "I'm Jacqueline Roa. Isaac's ex-wife."

Upon hearing this, Annalise's eyes immediately narrowed.

"Is this normal for you?" she asked sarcastically. "Stalking your ex? Visiting his patients?"

"No." the woman replied.

"Then how do you know who I am?" Annalise demanded.

"I'm a therapist too." Jacqueline replied.

"Ok." Annalise nodded. "So, you're both violating confidentiality."

Jacqueline sighed.

"Let me explain." she replied.

"I could have your license." Annalise threatened.

"I know what I'm risking by being here, Annalise. That's how serious this is. He's in a fragile place." She looked down. "We lost our daughter Stella…a few years ago. Suicide."

Annalise turned around to face her.

"Why are you telling me all this?" she demanded.

"I think Isaac is using again." Jacqueline replied, looking back up.

Annalise's eyes widened fractionally.

"How do you know?"

"Because I've seen it before. The not sleeping, the stress…"

"So I'm triggering it? That's what you're saying?" she demanded, angrily.

"Your situation is triggering him." She took a deep breath before continuing. "I'm an addiction specialist too. Which means I could be your new counselor for the disciplinary board. And I would never ask this of just _any_ patient. But you can survive this. I'm afraid Isaac won't."

* * *

Annalise walked into Isaac's study. Her hands were trembling slightly.

 _Get a hold of yourself, Annalise_ she mentally berated herself.

Isaac shut the door and turned to meet her eyes.

"So, shall we begin?" he asked. Noticing her expression, he stopped. "Everything ok ?" he asked, patiently.

Annalise took a deep breath before finally locking eyes with Isaac.

"This is our final session." she declared.

A puzzled expression appeared on his face.

"Is this because of our last session? It isn't uncommon for patients to shut down after expressing themselves in such a manner."

"It isn't that." she replied.

"Then what is it?" he asked.

Annalise diverted her eyes from his penetrating gaze.

"I'm getting too close." she whispered.

"What?" Isaac asked.

"Don't make me say it again." Annalise replied.

"Annalise, I—" but Annalise cut across him.

"I'm not going to repeat what happened with Sam." Saying this, she grabbed the door, flung it open and walked out into the lobby.

Isaac quickly overtook her and appeared in front of the door leading outside, blocking her exit.

"Have you been drinking?" he asked.

"No." Annalise replied.

"This is classic relapse behavior. Shutting down, running away. Come back inside. We can work through this." Isaac replied.

"I've already found another therapist." Annalise informed him, looking back up at him.

The puzzled expression crossed his face once more, before being replaced by firm resolve.

"You're going to have a relapse, Annalise. If you walk out of here, that's what's going to happen. You're going to drink again."

Tears formed in her eyes, but Annalise remained firm.

"Just let me go." she almost begged.

Isaac made no move to stop her this time as she walked through the door, and disappeared around the corner.

No sooner had she turned the corner, did the tears begin to flow down her cheeks. This…had undoubtedly been the hardest thing that she had done in months. That was including the debacle that occurred back at the Hapstall mansion a few weeks ago.

In the few months that she had known him, Isaac had started off just as any other therapist. Critical of her faults, strict about her sobriety. But over the months, she had steadily begun to enjoy their sessions. She had come to know the man as he truly was. A warm, caring individual. The man began to eerily remind him of how Sam used to be all those years back. He too had been warm and inviting. Of course, at that time she had hardly known he would turn out to be a cheating bastard as it was.

But there was something else about Isaac that she couldn't quite place her finger on. The man was calm and reserved. Of course, Isaac was also sharp and knew his way about the law as well as he had asked Annalise quite a few pertinent questions regarding her profession, which frankly no one had ever asked her before. She had to think quite critically to answer these questions.

If truth be told, she _was_ half afraid of getting too close to him. The man had over the months become more than her therapist.

* * *

 **Author's note:** **Ok. I know this chapter's a bit on the shorter side. I promise the next one is going to be much longer and juicy. So, read and review.**


	12. Chapter 12

**Heroin and Vodka**

 **Author's note:** **Hey guys, its been a long time since I last updated. I just completed my internship. So, now I'll have much more free time to update my stories. Plus I spent some time jotting down a few key parts of the story and its progress in Season 3. BTW this is the last chapter of Season 2. Next chapter onwards will be Season 3 So there. Anyways, enough of my chattering. I give you chapter 12.**

* * *

 **Chapter 12**

" _I saw it in her eyes. You violated her."_

 _She took a deep breath and released it before looking up at the man's eyes._

" _How many times did you it? For how many years? You don't even know because she was nobody to you. And then came that boy, your son, Christophe."_

 _The man nodded in acquiescence as if gauging her words carefully, before he leaned in to her._

" _Now you're fired." He whispered, before yanking the door open and leaving._

 _End Flashback_

Wes stood silently, eyes widened, in shock.

"No." Wes replied, in denial. "My father—h-he's dead."

"No." Annalise replied, with a shake of her head. "He's very much alive. And his name is Wallace Mahoney."

* * *

Annalise was curled up on her bed, the picture of her stillborn son in her hands. Tears were rolling down her cheeks, as she struggled to come to terms with the rapidly resurfacing memories.

* * *

"Why are you here?" Annalise asked, as she opened the door and spotted Laurel.

"I wanted to find out what happened between you and Wes." she replied, as she walked in.

"Why is that any of your business?" Annalise demanded.

"I don't know." Laurel sniffled. "Maybe because you've ruined _all_ my relationships since I got here? You came between me and Frank. Now between me and Wes."

Annalise sighed. She brabbed Laurel and pushed her back out doors.

"You know what? You're drunk. You need to go home." she replied.

"Not until you tell me what happened." Laurel cried out.

"I said go home." Annalise repeated.

"What did you tell him? That he killed his mother? Or was it that you're the one who ordered Frank to kill Lila?"

Annalise froze. She looked into Laurel's eyes, deeply probing into them.

"What did you just say?" she whispered.

"Oh yeah. Frank told me. That he killed Lila because you asked him to do it. Which makes all the sense in the world—that you started all this. Sam was cheating on you with a younger woman. And then she's pregnant? So why not use your trusty hit man to get rid of her and then play all of us like your little puppets. As we defend Rebecca, kill Sam…"

Laurels words began to echo strangely as her eyes began to unfocus.

"It was you. All along."

* * *

There was knocking at the door. An elderly African American woman pulled the door open to find her daughter standing across the threshold.

"Annalise!" she cried joyfully, as she enveloped her in a warm embrace. "There's my baby. She come home."

Little did she notice the tears which were rolling down Annalise's face.

* * *

Everyone was gathered at Annalise's house. But the person to whom the house belonged itself was ironically absent.

"You were the last person to see her." Conner accused Wes.

"We don't know that." Wes countered.

"Well, we know she kicked everyone out of the house except you…" Conner fired back.

Micheala decided to chime in.

"Seriously, what did she want to talk to you about?" Micheala asked Wes.

"That's none of your business." Wes replied.

Micheala rolled her eyes, annoyed.

"Annalise is missing. Caleb's missing. Everything's our business now."

At that moment, Laurel walked into the living room.

"Annalise is missing?" she asked.

Micheala turned around and spotted Laurel.

"Where have you been?" she asked.

"Hung over." Laurel replied rhetorically.

"Where is Annalise?" Laurel reiterated.

"Do you need us to redefine the word 'missing' for you?" Asher replied snarkily.

"Could everyone just stop yelling for a second?" Laurel replied, trying to gather her thoughts from the previous night. It was then that a sudden thought came to her.

She got up and approached Frank.

"Frank. I need to talk to you. _Now_." Frank raised his eyebrows before leading Laurel into the kitchen.

 _After a while…_

"I'm sorry, Frank. I don't know what made me say it." Laurel finished, recounting the incidents of the previous night.

Laurel silently gauged Frank's reaction. For as long as she had known the man, she had never seem him lose his cool. That is, until now. Frank's arms were visibly shaking and his eyebrows were knotted together in worry.

"You don't suppose this has anything to do with Annalise's disappearance, do you?" Laurel asked.

At that moment, Bonnie decided to walk in,

"We found her. Oliver tracked down her credit card." she replied, walking in. "She brought a plane ticket. To Memphis."

"What's at Memphis?" Laurel asked, quizzically raising her eyebrows.

"Her mother." Bonnie replied.

Frank finally looked up at Laurel.

"You want to tell her?" he asked Laurel.

After Bonnie was all caught up, she sighed.

"Well, what do we do now?" she asked. "We need her here. Right now. Her arrest warrant is about to be issued by the DA's office any minute now. She needs to know. And she isn't answering her phone."

Frank was meanwhile pacing the kitchen.

"Well, someone needs to go down there and tell her before its too late. And it can't be me. Annalise would kill me if she saw me."

Bonnie sighed.

"I would ask Nate to go, but we still don't know who the rat is. We need him at the station and—" Bonnie stopped abruptly. "I know one person we can count on."

* * *

"Anna Mae." Ophelia called out. "There's a gentleman caller come to see you."

Annalise appeared in the living room and looked to see who it was. To her shock, she spotted a familiar tall Latino standing in the living room, arms tucked into his overcoat.

It was Isaac.

Before her mother could enquire further, Annalise walked up to Isaac, grabbed his hand and walked him outside.

* * *

"What are you doing here? I thought I made it clear that we had our last session." she replied, immediately no sooner had she dragged Isaac out into the garden.

Isaac chuckled.

"Don't I even get a 'Hi'?" he asked jokingly.

Annalise remained silence, her lips pursed in annoyance.

"Okaaay…." Isaac nodded. "Clearly you aren't in a jocular mood, as I see. Bonnie called me and begged me to make you come home. Apparently a warrant has been issued in your name?" he asked questioningly.

Annalise's eyes widened.

"Have they issued it yet?" Annalise asked, lowering her eyes.

"So…you know about this?" he asked, raising his eyebrows.

"I had a hunch." Annalise replied.

"As far as Bonnie has told me, the warrant hasn't been issued yet." he replied.

If he had any other questions on his mind, he didn't show them. Annalise made to turn back to the house when Isaac caught her hand. He turned her around to face him.

"Why did you end your sessions with me so abruptly, Annalise?" he asked, probing eyes gazing deep into her own, as if reaching into her soul.

Annalise pointedly looked away for a few seconds before turning to face him once again.

"Are you using again? Heroin or something else?" she demanded.

Isaac's eyes widened.

"Why are you asking me that?" Isaac asked.

"So, you are, seeing as you aren't answering my question." She replied, folding her arms.

"You're wrong." Isaac asserted. "I'm not. I promise you."

Annalise looked away once more, her eyes still deflected from Isaac's piercing gaze.

Isaac sighed.

"Is that why you left me?" he asked softly, "You were concerned I was unfit to help you? Annalise, I…" he broke off, becoming silent.

Tears formed in Annalise's eyes and rolled down her cheeks. Isaac's heart clenched in pain as he observed her.

"Talk to me Annalise." He replied softly. "Come on. Talk to me."

Annalise nodded.

"Sam…told me it was in my head. That that was a story that I told myself as a little girl that I kept telling myself." She sobbed and continued. "Its why I fell in love with him. Because he made me believe that wasn't the problem. And I was so relieved. But Isaac…it just keeps happening."

"What does?" Isaac asked intently.

She was silent for a few seconds before she looked up at him, finally gazing into his eyes.

"I hurt people." she replied, softly.

Isaac's eyes widened.

"You think you're hurting me?" Isaac asked her softly.

She nodded.

"The baby. Sam." Annalise continued.

"You didn't make those things happen." Isaac replied, attempting to comfort her, but failing miserably.

"I want to believe you, so bad." Annalise replied.

"There is no one person that has that kind of power." Isaac asserted.

"Tell me the truth." Annalise demanded.

Isaac paused before slowly nodding his head.

Annalise paused for a few seconds before gazing up at him.

"Am I triggering you?" Annalise demanded.

Isaac began to consider his options. While in his heart of hearts, he knew that Annalise was a _bad_ trigger for him, he couldn't tell her so at that moment as that would break her. So, he chose to lie instead.

"No." he replied immediately.

Annalise nodded, in half-belief. She looked up at Isaac. "You should come in. Stay over for the night. I'm sure you've had a long flight."

Isaac shook his head.

"No.I possibly couldn't. Besides, I—" but Annalise cut him off.

"I insist." She replied firmly. "We'll _both_ leave for Philadelphia tomorrow."

Isaac opened his mouth to protest but one look from Annalise silenced him. Isaac began to chuckle in amusement. Annalise soon cracked a grin and both of them began to laugh.

* * *

Annalise had entered the house and had led Isaac to the bathroom for a shower.

Meanwhile Ophelia had been observing her daughter carefully.

"Whose the gentleman, Anna Mae?" she asked scuttling over to him.

Annalise turned to face her.

"He's my therapist, mama." Annalise replied.

A frown immediately appeared on her face.

"A therapist? You mean like that no good Sam Keating whom you married?" she asked.

This time a frown appeared on Annalise's face.

"He's _nothing_ like Sam, mama." she replied curtly before she turned to leave, strutting away proudly, with her head held high.

Ophelia shook her head dismissively.

"These no good therapists!" she whispered.

* * *

Annalise was fast asleep when she suddenly felt herself stir. Someone was shaking her gently.

"Annalise. Annalise. Wake up." Her eyes fluttered open. She looked up. It was Isaac.

"Get up." He commanded.

"What is it?" Annalise asked. "Is it mama? Is she alright?" she replied, getting up.

"Everyone's fine." Isaac replied comfortingly. "But right now we're going to complete an exercise."

Annalise fell back into her pillow with a frustrated sigh.

"Isaac, it's the dead of night and—" but Isaac cut her off.

"Annalise, I'm your therapist and I know what I'm doing. Now get up." he replied sternly.

Annalise sighed before leaving her bed and walking out with Isaac.

Isaac took her to the garden and came over and stood beside a mound of earth.

"Come." He beckoned Annalise over.

Annalise walked over to him. Isaac reached into his overcoat, and handed her a notepad and pen. He pushed the notepad into her hand

"This is for you to write a letter for your baby to take to his homegoing."

Annalise gave him a perplexed expression.

Isaac sighed.

"Annalise, you've been deferring this long enough. Its high time you dealt with this pain before it comes up and upends your sobriety. You've been doing splendidly so far and I would hate for your sobriety to be ruined by this."

Annalise sighed. She took the pen and notepad. She began to scribble, just letting the words flow from her heart to the paper.

 _Hi Sam! I'm your mother, Annalise._

After this, she couldn't help but pause as tears began to stream down her face.

Isaac watched her softly. He could barely imagine the pain she was feeling. He reached out and took her hand, grasping it softly in his.

"I lost my daughter too, Annalise." Annalise looked up at him immediately, eyes widening fractionally. "I never told you this. But to this day, that pain has never left me. I know what you're going through right now, Annalise. Believe me. The pain numbs over the years. Trust me." he replied encouragingly.

Isaac knew he was lying. Stella's death was had remained as painful to him today as it had been three years ago. But the man was unable to bear seeing her in such a state. So, he chose to lie to console her.

Annalise sobbed, before nodding her head as she continued to write.

 _I'm so sorry I never got to know you. So sorry you never got to see this world. You have no idea how badly I wanted you. I bore you for nine month, hoping and praying, that you would be fine. Alas, I failed to protect you. But that still doesn't mean that I don't love you. I will always love you. Always. Love, your mother._

As she finished scribbling down the note, Isaac handed her the trowel . She took it with shaking hands and began to dig down into the soft, moist earth. She had barely plunged the trowel into the earth, when she broke down into hysterical sobs.

She felt a warm hand reach out and take hers. Annalise looked up. It was Isaac. He was smiling gently and encouragingly. He pushed the trowel down and pulled the earth out.

Encouraged and renewed with fiery resolve, Annalise continued to dig deep into the earth until she had widened out a niche small enough for the note. She gently laid the note into the ground. She then began to cover it up with the soil she had dug up. After having completed the exercise, she got up shakily.

Isaac smiled widely.

"Annalise." he replied, softly. "I'm so proud of you…"

Tears came to Annalise's eyes as she suddenly reached out and hugged the man fiercely, tears streaming down her face. Strong hands reached out and wrapped around him, embracing her softly. Isaac held her like that for a few seconds, before Annalise broke apart, coughing in an embarrassed fashion.

Isaac chuckled.

* * *

They were on the way back to Philadelphia. Annalise was resolute in resolving matters as it were right that day. She yawned widely. She suddenly felt a gaze on her and turned to her left. It was Isaac.

"You should rest, Annalise. You barely slept at all last night." he replied.

After the ordeal of the previous night, Isaac had taken her back to the kitchen and had whipped up some hot chocolate, assuring her that it would be beneficial, for the state she was currently in. She had accepted it gratefully. The rest of the night had passed away with Isaac exchanging fond memories of Stella with Annalise. Annalise had also informed him that she had already been aware of Stella. When Isaac had inquired how and learnt that it had been his ex-wife's doing, he had been furious. He apologized to Annalise profusely for involving Jacqueline in this mess and assured her that he would handle the situation.

Back on the plane, Annalise nodded. It was a couple of hours flight to Philly anyways. Surely, a few hours of shut eye woudn't hurt.

Thinking so, she reclined on her seat and shut her eyes, dozing off.

Isaac meanwhile had pulled out a magazine and was perusing its contents, when he felt Annalise's head slide softly onto his shoulders.

He turned to her.

He couldn't help but smile softly. She was an amazing woman. She was intelligent, witty and resolute. She was a brilliant lawyer and knew her way around the law. But she was also kind and caring. She shouldered so much pain and burdens that Isaac had been shocked that the woman hadn't committed suicide. She was strong. Unlike him. He was glad to have known her.

He gently wrapped his left hand around her and continued to peruse the magazine.

* * *

 **Author's note:** **Phew! There you go. I promised you guys a longer chapter and here it is—my longest chapter till date. And with this, we close with Season 2. Next chapter onwards will be Season 3. I might be a bit busy with my schedule for the next few weeks as my new term is beginning. So the next chapter will be out around late July-early August. Anyways, read and review.**


	13. Chapter 13

**Heroin and Vodka**

 **Author's note:** **Ok. I know I'm a little late publishing this chapter. But I was actually busy preparing for my mid-sem exams this month. Anyways, enough about my life. This chapter begins Season 3. Now I have quite some original twists planned for this Season. So, it won't be exactly like canon as planned earlier. Don't worry. Major plot points will still remain pretty much the same. Anyways, without further ado, lets begin Season 3.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own How To Get Away With Murder. Its characters and plot are the sole property of Shonda Rhimes and Pete Nowalk.**

* * *

 **Chapter 13**

Annalise walked into class, a slight spring in her steps. It was the third semester of law school and she had just had Nate over the last night. Nothiong murderous had occurred in the past two therapy sessions with Isaac had been going great and she had been sober for 5 months now which was quite an achievement. All was well.

Well, except for Frank.

Her trusted(past tense) associate had been missing ever since her return from Memphis 2 months ago. Ofcourse, she now knew the full extent of the man's involvement in the death of her baby. So, she was glad that she wouldn't have to face him ever again.

She sighed and shook her head, trying to clear it. She glanced up at the class, spotting the familiar faces of the Keating 5, who were just taking their seats. Laurel was seated in the front row and occasionally kept glancing at Wes, who was seated two rows behind her, pointedly looking away. Micheala was seated in B4 and looked quite tired and worn out. Asher was occupying the seat right behind her.

She cleared her throat.

"Congratulations." She said. " You've each been hand chosen to take part in my very first criminal law legal clinic." She turned to the board and pulled down the slide, turning away. "In here, you're not just students, but actual practicing lawyers responsible for your own cases and clients." She smiled challengingly.

"You finally get to be me."

It was then that she noticed the look on her student's faces. Most were looking apprehensively over her shoulder. Micheala was gaping at the board. She quickly turned to face the board.

There was a picture of her pasted on the slide. Her face was marked with red ink and shining red letters displayed the word 'KILLER' on it.

* * *

Class was over and she packing her bag when she spotted the Keating 5 who were gathered on the podium in front of her. She rolled her eyes.

"Wonder why people think I favor you?" she said sarcastically.

Conner was the first to speak.

"Wait…you aren't at all concerned?" he asked, incredulously.

"About what?" Annalise asked.

"The flyer?" Laurel asked.

"Its just a piece of paper." she replied, turning to her.

"It said 'Killer' on it." Asher spoke up.

"I've been called worse." she replied.

As she made to leave, she sighed and turned back around, facing them.

"Everything's fine." She replied, trying to placate them." The police have moved on. Nothing's happened all summer."

"Like that means anything." Micheala responded.

"It means that we're safe." Annalise countered. "And you want to know why? We're good people now." She looked over at the rest of them. "Say it to yourself till you believe it."

* * *

She walked into Isaac's office at 2 PM sharp for her session. As usual, Isaac was seated on his couch with a notepad and pen ready in his hands. He smiled as she sat down opposite to him.

"I hope you've been doing well since our last session, Annalise?" he asked.

"Same old, same old." she replied, with a smirk. "You know, I would have thought we would have moved past this since I have actually been seeing you for 5 months now."

Isaac mirrored her smirk and chuckled.

"Its basic protocol, Annalise. I'm merely doing my job, you know." he replied, jovially.

"Yeah, me too." Annalise replied." …" she replied, putting her bag away. "What are we here for today?"

"Today…we'll be picking up were we left off last session." he replied.

Annalise's face darkened.

Isaac spotted the change in expression and sighed.

"Its time, Annalise. You need to get over Sam's death if there is any hope of you getting over your alcoholism."

Annalise rolled her eyes.

"Like I told you in our last session, I am already over it."

Isaac pursed his lips.

"Now why do I feel there's more to this story than that."

Annalise looked up, meeting his gaze. It was a piercing gaze that she often noticed in the therapist's eyes, almost as if he could immediately tell that she was lying.

Her mind flashed back to that fateful night of the bonfire.

 _6 months ago…_

" _I know nothing. About you. Us." she replied grabbing a couple of shirts and coats and shoving it into a trolley._

" _Why are you doing this?" Sam demanded._

 _Annalise rounded on him._

" _You knew she was pregnant. How stupid could you be?" She huffed, stuffing the trolley shut with her hands. " Bonnie? Ofcourse she'd tell me." She zipped the trolley shut and walked past him towards the flight of stairs._

" _Alright. Annie wait…" Sam replied, attempting to stop her._

 _Annalise climbed down the stairs and reached the landing._

" _I lied, ok? Yes. But only because you'd think I killed her…" he replied._

" _Didn't you?" Annalise replied, throwing the bag down in front of the door._

" _No. God no." Sam replied._

 _Annalise turned away, walking back into the living room._

" _Annie, wait…" Sam tried._

 _She shook him away._

" _You've lied so much, your words mean nothing to me._ _ **You**_ _mean nothing to me."_

" _Would you just stop for one second?" Sam demanded._

" _ **No, I'm done saving your ass. I'm done believing you. I'm done loving you. Get out of this house!"**_ _She yelled._

" _I'm begging you to not give up on me." Sam pleaded._

" _I already have." Annalise fired back._

" _I'm your husband. I love you and—" but he was cut off._

" _Get out of this house or I'm calling 911." Annalise threatened, grabbing the phone off the desk._

 _Sam rushed to her, snatching the phone away from her hands and throwing it on the floor._

" _I'm not leaving until you talk to me!" he yelled._

 _Annalise looked into his eyes. They were dark and unreadable in the darkness of the living room._

" _I'm not a violent man, Annie." Sam spoke up._

 _Annalise huffed, walking away._

" _Everyone's violent if given the chance." she replied._

" _No. Not me. You know that." Sam countered, following after her._

" _I tried to believe you all this time. I tried to…I just didn't listen to myself." Annalise replied._

" _Just calm down. I'm_ still _the man you married." Sam replied._

" _ **You're**_ _ **not that man anymore."**_ _Annalise denied vehemently."And I don't think you ever were. Which is why you chose me isn't it? I've been the window dressing for you. The black woman in your arms so you could hide. So that people only saw the good guy. Maybe it took me twenty years to see it but I_ _ **do**_ _see it."_

 _She looked into his eyes. His expression appeared defiant._

" _And that's why you killed Lila—because she was pregnant and you knew that if it got out people would see you for the_ _ **pathetic**_ _man you are." she yelled._

" _You think I killed her?" Sam demanded." Why not just go to the police? Why get them to run a DNA test instead? So you cover your own ass. Because that's who_ _ **you**_ _are—some scared little girl who just pretends to be strong but is just weak and selfish."_

" _I did everything I could to protect you!" Annalise yelled._

" _You did everything you could to make my life miserable!" Sam fired back._

 _Annalise was silent for a few seconds. She removed a strand of hair which had fallen over her face._

 _She spoke._

" _I've been screwing another man."_

 _Sam turned to her._

" _His name is Nate. And boy, is he good to me." She walked steadily up to him. "He know me .Just what I like and how I like it He know how to make me scream and groan and sweat. And so I let him take me wherever he wants. On this counter. On my desk. In our bed—"_

" _You hypocrite." Sam replied before turning away._

" _I'm thinking about him right now." Annalise replied._

" _You're blaming me when you've been cheating all this time…" Sam replied, walking away._

" _Which is how I could sleep with you all these months because I would think about him and I'd be able to stand you on top of me—". Sam suddenly whoirled around, and grabbed her neck with his two hands, shoving her into the wall._

" _And I think of_ _ **Lila**_ _everitime I get off with you!" he yelled, choking her._

" _I bet you did, didn't you?" Annalise replied. "Kill her, huh? You enjoyed it, didn't you? Strangling her and watching the life go out of her body? You still think about it, don't you? Your hand around her neck while you're still inside her? Its exciting you, isn't it?You want to do it to me now, don't you? Go ahead. Kill me. Kill me._ _ **Kill me!**_ _" she bit back._

 _Sam barred his teeth before he let go._

" _Your'e a monster." he replied softly._

" _Monster huh? Is that all you got? You can do better than that." she replied, panting._

" _You want the truth?" he asked, before inching his face closer to her's. "You're nothing but a piece of ass. That's what I saw. When I first net you in that office that day. Cuz'I knew you'd put out." He pursed his lips. "That's what you were really good for—dirty, rough sex. I'm too ashamed to tell anyone about it. Its how foul you are. You disgusting slut."_

 _Annalise nodded._

" _Well…at least you were finally able to tell the truth."_

 _End Flashback_

"He called me a slut." she replied, looking into Isaac's eyes. "My husband."

Isaac's eyes widened, before softening.

"Why?" he asked.

Tears formed in Annalise's eyes before they began to trail down her cheeks.

"It was the night I last saw him." she sobbed. "We had a fight. And he called me a slut. Said all I was good for was rough, dirty sex."

Annalise had turned her gaze away from him, ashamed. This was something she had never confided in anyone. No one knew what had happened that night between her and Sam.

She fearfully turned her gaze back to Isaac. She was surprised when she caught what looked like anger in his eyes. His eyebrows were knitted together in a frown. But the look passed.

Isaac left his couch and sat down next to her. Without warning, he pulled her into an embrace.

"Annalise…" he replied, softly. "You are an amazing woman. You are smart and witty. You are courageous and strong. You are a bit neurotic." He replied, with a chuckle. "But you are as stable as any woman I have ever counseled."

Annalise pulled away from him. Isaac let go.

"Sam was wrong." he continued, staring into her eyes. "You are much more than just sex. I…believe there is so much more to you than your sexuality. You have come so far in our sessions. The only reason you have come as far you have is because you are a far more capable woman than what Sam had defined you as."

Annalise coughed, embarrassed.

"Ok. That's enough at my expense." she replied, with a small laugh.

Isaac couldn't help but laugh out loud. Annalise was amazed to hear his laughter. She realized that she had never heard him laugh before. It was soft and gentle. His eyes lit up with happiness and warmth.

"Ok… so our next session is going to be on a much lighter note. Meet me at Joe's diner at 7:30 AM sharp tomorrow."

Annalise raised her eyebrows.

"Are you asking me out? Because you're my therapist and that's unethical." she replied, with a playful smirk.

Isaac chuckled.

"Its _not_ a date, Annalise. It's…umm….how do I put this? It's something I do with each of my patients…we exchange irrelevant information regarding our lives and get to know one another better. You are _not_ cut out for another session so soon. So I'm taking things slowly from here on out." he concluded. "Not to mention, Joe's waffles are worth dying for." he replied, with a smile.

"Oh." she replied. She couldn't help but feel a slight twinge of disappointment. "Sure. Alright. I'll be seeing you at 7:30 tomorrow then."

* * *

As Annalise exited Isaac's office, he turned back to stare at the shut door.

She recalled the hug.

She had frozen up at first. She wasn't used to being hugged, especially ever since Sam's death. Yet it hadn't felt wrong. She had melted into his arms without much resistance.

She recalled Isaac's words. Annalise had heard the sincerity in his voice. His voice had held nothing but warmth and compassion.

She could honestly say that the man meant much more to her than just a therapist. Sure, when they had started out, he had been strict and had called her out on her bullshit. But as she came to know the man, she had noticed a different side to him. He was kind and gentle. Sure, he was a stickler when it came to her sobriety. But he also listened intently to everything she said, never once growing weary of her narcissism. He offered her sound advice and guided her on to the right path, never straying too far away from her.

She couldn't help but look forward to their 'date' next day.

* * *

 **Author's note:** **There you go. A nice Isaac-Annalise moment. And now, Isaac has asked her out on their first unofficial date! Don't worry. It's not really going to be a date. I have something special planned for** _ **that**_ **and it won't be happening any time soon. Sorry to disappoint you guys. The next chapter will be out late August as I have to prep for my semester exams.**

 **Anyways, read and review.**


	14. Chapter 14

**Heroin and Vodka**

 **Author's note:** **Alright. This was a difficult chapter to write. I had to get creative. A lot. Things between Isaac and Annalise are going to go downhill from the next chapter onwards. Anyways, you will find out soon enough. Read on.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own How To Get Away With Murder. Its characters and plot are the sole property of Shonda Rhimes and Pete Nowalk.**

* * *

 **Chapter 14**

"What kind of dream were you having?" Nate asked. "Tossing and turning all night. Talking gibberish…Annalise?"

Annalise turned to face him.

"Was it a sex dream? Is that why you won't tell me about it?" he asked sarcastically.

"Who said it was a guy?" Annalise chuckled. She made to rise out of bed. But Nate grabbed her and pulled her back in.

"Oh no. No way am I allowing you to leave me all high and dry." He said, kissing her softly. Annalise kissed him back before pulling away.

"Hurry up and shower. I'm going to be late for work." She replied.

"Work?" Nate asked quizzically. "I thought Middleton didn't open till 10. Its only 7 now." he said, glancing at the clock on the opposite wall.

"Well…its this breakfast thing I'm having with my th—a colleague." she said, quickly correcting herself. She didn't want Nate knowing about Isaac. She would rather it remain the way it was.

If she had slipped up, Nate hadn't noticed. He nodded before heading off into the bathroom.

Annalise sighed in relief.

 _Man,_ she thought, _status-quo is hard._

Besides she had more pressing concerns to attend to than breakfast with Isaac. She quickly walked up to her dresser and pulled out a drawer. She pulled out the burner phone and flipped it open. It was 7:02. She quickly dialed a number, her hands trembling slightly. She waited with bated breath as she put the phone to her ears. The phone rang twice before someone answered.

She waited for a reply but none came. She was about to redial when a voice answered.

"I didn't….I didn't have a choice." A voice answered, sobbing. Annalise went cold.

It was Frank.

"He's dead." he replied quietly.

Annalise's blood froze.

"Annalise?" Frank asked.

She quickly hung up and slid the burner back into her drawer. She began to hyper ventilate. The whole room began to spin around her.

She had another innocent man's blood on her hands.

She shook her head, trying to clear her thoughts. She had to get ready. The only thing that was keeping her sane was the thought of meeting her therapist. Oddly, the moment she began thinking about Isaac, the negative thoughts began to recede. She sighed in relief as she began to get ready.

* * *

Annalise arrived at Joe's diner at 7:30 AM sharp. Frank and his various misdoings were still swirling around in her head. She put on a forced smile as she began to search for Isaac.

"Annalise." Isaac called out from a booth at the corner. She walked over to him. He must have noticed the look on her face because he asked "Is….everything alright?"

"Oh yes. Why shouldn't it be?" she said sitting down opposite to him.

"Ok." he said. "I've already ordered by the way. I hope you don't mind."

"Oh no. I haven't kept you waiting, have I?"Annalise asked.

"Oh no no. I've only been here for a couple of minutes." Isaac replied.

The waiter came by and served two plates full of waffles and eggs. She then poured two steaming cups of coffee and left.

Annalise took an experimental bite of the waffle as Isaac watched her expectantly. Her eyes widened.

"You were right. These _are_ worth dying for." Annalise replied with a sigh.

Isaac chuckled.

"Told you so." he replied before taking a bite of his own waffles.

"So." Annalise replied, taking a sip of her coffee. As the warm caffeine touched her lips, she felt a rush of warmth seep through her being. Coffee was another thing Isaac had recommended as a remedy to alcohol. "What do you want to talk about?"

"You tell me." Isaac replied, pouring some syrup onto his waffles. "The ball's in your court."

Annalise nodded before taking another sip of her coffee.

"Would it be at all inappropriate if I talked about my love life?" Annalise asked experimentally, as she gazed up at Isaac.

Isaac swallowed his bite before replying.

"I'm all ears, Annalise."

Annalise nodded before she began.

"I'm seeing this man—Nate. I think I've mentioned him before."

Isaaac nodded.

Annalise took another customary sip of her coffee before continuing.

"Well…its just this thing. We've been seeing each other for a while and its all going great—well, at least the sex is great." Annalise replied with a chuckle. She looked up at Isaac. She thought she saw a flash of something pass across his eyes. But it was momentary and was gone in an instant. Annalise dismissed it casually, having mistakenly seen something else.

"It's just—Nate himself. I'm no feeling that thing." she replied with a sigh.

Isaac quirked his eyebrows.

"What thing?" he asked.

"You know— _the_ thing. That spark. Its missing. I mean, don't get me wrong. He's a great man and all...but its just…" she trailed off, staring frustratingly at her plate of half- eaten waffles.

Isaac set down his fork before taking a sip of his coffee.

"Well I'm no marriage counselor. _Believe me_." Isaac replied with a chuckle. Annalise couldn't help but smile. "But there seems to be more to this than your'e letting on, Annalise. And I'd like to hear the whole thing out for myself before I tell you my piece."

Annalise sighed. As usual, Isaac could always sense when she was not telling him the full story.

"Its just…I did something awful and I don't think he's forgiven me yet for it."

"What did you do, Annalise?" Isaac asked, intrigued.

Annalise remained silent as she began to contemplate as to how to get around this situation. She couldn't honestly tell her therapist the truth—that he had framed him for her husband's death. So, she decided to go with the lesser truth.

Isaac sighed.

"Annalise, if you don't tell me what it is, how can I—?"

"We had an affair." Annalise blurted out.

Isaac nodded. "Ok, lets hear it."

Annalise sighed.

"Where do I begin?" she asked, puzzled.

"Lets begin at the beginning. I've always found that helps." Isaac replied with an encouraging smile.

Annalise nodded before she began.

"It was in March. I met him during one of my trial preps. We had a few drinks and we hit it off. Ever since he would come over every alternate day and before I knew it—we were sleeping together…" she trailed off.

Isaac nodded.

"And then?" he asked.

"Sam never knew. I don't think he even doubted me." she replied with a wry smile on her face. _Ofcourse, that cheating son of a bitch was off screwing Lila so how would he know?_

She took a deep breath before continuing.

"It wasn't so much as me cheating on Sam that hurt me. What really got to me was when I found out why Nate was cheating on _his_ wife—Leah. Turns out she had stage 3 breast cancer and only had a few weeks left to live at most."

Annalise stopped before speaking again.

"Leah knew. She knew I was screwing her husband. Ever since then, I believe Nate is still angry with me about it. For coming into his life—for ruining what was left of his marriage."

Annalise looked up at Isaac. His warm eyes held a deep, sympathetic look.

"Annalise. You shouldn't have to feel sorry for yourself. From what I can understand, Sam clearly wasn't a husband worthy of your guilt." Here he paused, took a deep breath, before continuing. "And besides, I believe Nate has already forgiven you for your transgression. Or else…" he paused, "…or else he wouldn't still be with you."

Annalise gulped, before nodding steadily.

"Good." Isaac replied with a wide smile. "Now I do believe I've come to know you a little better than before."

With that said, he set down his fork and took one last sip of his coffee. The waitress came over and took the dishes away.

Annalise made to take the cheque but Isaac quickly snatched it away.

"I'm paying." he replied forcefully, already having pulled out his wallet, "This was _my_ idea. You're _my_ patient." he replied in a tone that left no room for argument.

Annalise sighed in defeat before nodding.

"But next time, it's my turn." she replied challengingly.

Isaac glared over challengingly at her.

"We'll just have to see about that." he fired back, in an equally challenging manner.

Both therapist and patient glared at one another before their glares dissipated and the two began to laugh.

"No. Seriously Annalise. This was good." Isaac replied after a while. "I guess I'll be seeing you next week then."

"Sure." Annalise nodded before departing.

She had arrived all flustered and worried and had left completely relaxed and at peace with herself. She didn't give a shit about Frank. He could go and kill himself for all he was worth.

* * *

 **Author's note:** **There you go. Annalise and Isaac's first unofficial date. I know it may seem a little out of it but that's all you're going to be getting for now. I apologize if Annalise seems a little too OOC in this chapter—but that's just how the character is portrayed in the show as well— she may appear all fierce and tough and ready to kick your ass in court, but inside, she still as insecure as anyone of us really.**

 **The next chapter will be out by mid-September latest.**

 **Anyways, read and review.**


	15. Chapter 15

**Heroin and Vodka**

 **Author's note:** **Ok. I'm pushing out this chapter earlier than I thought. So, you guys won't be getting any new ones for atleast 1-1.5 weeks from now. Anyways, as I said, things will begin to go downhill between Isaac and Annalise from this chapter onwards. Also, a shout out to Nastygustin for helping me out with this chapter! So, without further talk, let's begin.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own How To Get Away With Murder. Its plot and characters are the sole property of Pete Nowalk and Shonda Rhimes.**

* * *

 **Chapter 15**

Annalise woke up with a bright smile on her face that had nothing to do with the sex she had last night with Nate.

Ok. If she was being honest with herself, maybe it had a little to do with it. Oh, it had been good but what was going to happen today was better.

Eve was coming to Philadelphia for a visit and it had been a _long_ time since she had seen her friend. She was so excited that she hopped off her bed and began to get dressed, singing a merry tune as she applied her make up.

Nate raised his eyebrows.

"Don't think I've seen you do that….ever." he replied, sarcastically, getting of the bed and walking up to her and wrapping his arms around her.

Annalise rolled her eyes.

Nate chuckled.

"Have a good time with Eve, Annalise." Nate replied before walking into the bathroom.

Annalise sighed.

Oh, she had every intention to.

Eve pulled up in front of her house at 12 PM sharp. She was punctual as always. Annalise welcomed her in.

"When you told me to meet you at Middleton, I assumed at a bar or some place. Not your home." she said, with a chuckle.

"Eve, you know I'm in therapy." Annalise replied with a chuckle of her own.

They both walked into the living room and sat down on the couch. Annalise had taken the day off from the University to spend some quality time with her friend.

"Yeah, you did mention that." Eve replied, putting away her bag. "Tell me, how's that going?"

Annalise couldn't help but smile softly.

"Its going well. Haven't touched a drink in months."

"Good for you Annalise. Don't let alcohol get the better of you." She replied softly. She got a serious expression on her face.

"So, what's up with those fliers you told me about on phone? Did they find the creep who put them up?" she asked, a worried expression on her face.

"Can we just not talk of a disaster that's my life?" Annalise asked rhetorically.

"Well, that just leaves us to talk about my boring life." Eve replied.

"Man, I'd _kill_ for a boring life right now." Annalise replied.

"So…" Eve replied, crossing her legs. "Nate moved in. That's…pretty boring."

Annalise chuckled.

"Is it the sex? It's that good, isn't it?" Eve replied, with a wide smile.

Annalise laughed softly.

"We're not doing this right now."

Eve waved her off.

"Anyways, I don't care. You're happy, I'm happy."

Annalise shook her head.

"Didn't say I was happy. Stressed out, pissed off, lonely…" she trailed on.

Eve raised her eyebrows.

"Wow, that's quite a long list you've got there Annalise." She sighed.

Annalise got up, walked over to the liquor cabinet, and poured out a drink. She walked back to Eve and handed her the glass.

Eve raised her eyebrows.

"What?" Annalise asked. "Just because I can't drink doesn't mean you cant as well."

Eve chuckled before taking a sip.

Annalise sighed.

"I need to retire, Eve." Annalise informed her.

Eve looked up at her.

"The Sam-insurance money is that good?" she questioned, with quirked eyebrows. She got up and began to pace the living room.

"I spent it all." Annalise informed her. "I could sell the house." she added, as an afterthought.

"Oh God, yes, do that." Eve replied, looking around the living room.

"I've lived here all my life." Annalise replied.

"And look what happened." Eve countered.

There was a pause. Neither of them said anything.

"I'm sorry." Eve replied, after a while.

Annalise nodded.

Eve walked back to the couch and sat down.

"Ok. Let's say that you _do_ retire. You sell the house, move somewhere quiet—"

"I hate the quiet." Annalise deadpanned.

Eve chuckled.

"The city then. A _real_ city. New York. Chicago—"

"What the hell am I going to do in a city? Move in with you? Become your trophy wife?" Annalise asked.

Eve smiled mischievously.

"I'm down with that." she replied.

Annalise chuckled.

"So…" Eve asked " What did you do with the insurance money?"

Annalise sighed before she looked into Eve's eyes.

"I hired a hit man to kill Frank." she replied.

Eve's eyes widened.

"You did _what_?" she asked, rising up. "Did you even know he was a hit man?"

"He wasn't really a hit man." Annalise informed her.

"You just said he was." Eve countered.

"Well…I-I just wanted him to find Frank, that's all." Annalise shot back.

"And what was he supposed to do once he found him?" Eve asked quietly.

"Well, I never got to make that call and—"

"You made the call the minute you hired him." Eve replied.

"He killed my son. Maybe not with his own hands. But in what world do I not make him pay for that?" she asked softly. "Tell me." She began to sob.

Eve walked over to her and sat down beside her. She pulled her friend into a warm embrace. Annalise laid her head against her shoulder.

"Thank you for not judging me." Annalise replied softly.

"I'd never judge you, Annalise." Eve replied, kissing her on her forehead.

Annalise gazed up at her. She reached out and pulled Eve closer to her face. Soon, their lips met and the two were kissing. But shortly after, Eve pulled away.

"I'm sorry. I can't…."she replied, sobbing. She got up and walked over to the fireplace. Annalise's gaze followed her.

She turned around and gazed at her.

"I met someone. Vanessa. We met a few months ago on a case in California. Things have been moving faster than I expected. I…wasn't sure if it was…you know…anything real and you know with everything that's going on with you I just…" she trailed off. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you."

"What are you talking about?" Annalise asked, walking up to her and brushing her tears away."Does she love you?"

Eve nodded.

"Do you love her?" Annalise asked, already half-expecting the answer.

"Yes. I do." Eve replied.

Annalise smiled softly.

"You should go." she replied softly.

"Annalise…" Eve replied.

"No, no…you deserve it more than anyone." Annalise hugged her." Let yourself be loved."

* * *

Annalise had begun to hyperventilate shortly after eve's departure. She paused and glanced over at the vodka on the countertop. She shook her head and grabbed her phone, dialing Isaac's number quickly.

The phone rang. Once. Twice. Thrice. It rang a full eight times before going to voicemail. "This is Isaac Roa. If this is an emergency, please dial 911 or wait till I get back to you."

Annalise waited for the beep before leaving her message.

"Isaac. I need to speak to you immediately. Can we meet at the clinic at 4?" Annalise's voice sounded from the other end of the phone before cutting off.

* * *

Isaac gazed down at the phone. Trembling, he put the phone down as he shook his head to clear it. Despite his repeated attempts to calm himself, his mind continuously kept drifting back to the conversation that had occurred earlier.

 _A few hours earlier…_

 _Isaac had just been down to the court to hand over Annalise's sobriety reviews to the Disciplinary Boar. He was just exiting the office when he heard a voice call out his name._

" _Dr. Roa?" a voice asked._

 _Isaac turned around._

 _It was a tall man. He was dark haired and fair skinned. A Latino. He held a clear air of authority as he walked over to him._

" _Yes?" Isaac asked. "Have we met?"_

" _I'm afraid not, Dr. Roa .You will not know matter. Introductions v]can be carried out in my office. If you please." The man began to lead the way down the hall._

 _Isaac followed, wondering what on earth this was all about._

 _The man led him into an office. It was richly decorated with a soft leather carpet. An ebony desk lay on the other end of the office behind which was a large shelf of books. Isaac's eyes zeroed in on the titles. Most of the books were on law. Isaac surmised that the man was a lawyer._

 _The man walked over to the seat behind the desk and sat down._

" _Do take a sit, please as we are going to be here for a while."_

 _Isaac nodded and walked over to the seat and sat down._

" _Would you like something to drink? Perhaps tea or coffee?" the man offered, with a smile._

 _Isaac grimaced. There was something rather unpleasant about the man's smile._

" _No. Nothing, thank you." Isaac declined politely. "If I may ask, what am I doing here?" he asked._

" _Oh yes. I almost forgot." The man replied, with a slight shake of his head. Something told Isaac that the man hadn't forgotten anything and was merely waiting for him to pop the question first._

" _Let me introduce myself. My name is Todd Denver and I'm the—"_

"— _the District Attorney." Isaac finished for him. "Yes, I've heard about you before."_

 _The man., now identified as Todd Denver chuckled._

" _I see my reputation precedes me." he replied. "But today, we're not here to talk about me. We're here to talk about_ you."

 _Isaac's eyes widened._

" _I'm afraid I don't follow. What about me?" he asked._

 _Denver chuckled darkly._

" _Maybe I should have made myself clear at the outset. This is precisely about one of your patients. Namely, Annalise Keating."_

 _Isaac's eyes narrowed._

" _Then, as a lawyer, you should recall that I'm not at liberty to violate my patient's confidentiality." he replied sharply._

 _Denver gave a wry smile._

" _Yes, I'm perfectly aware of that. But what you need to know, is that_ I'll _be the one doing the talking here, not you. I believe I know something that might interest you. Something like—" Here he began to search around for a proper word. "—context. Do you need context, Dr. Roa?"_

 _Isaac bristled slightly._

" _This is the essence of my work. But I do believe I have no right to seek information regarding my patient from any other source other than my patient herself. Especially if said person constantly opposes her in court. Good day." Isaac replied, before getting up and turning to leave. He was at the door and was about to leave when Denver called out._

" _Ms. Keating's a murderer, you know."_

 _Isaac froze. He slowly turned back to face him once more. His face held a grim look._

" _What are you talking about?" he demanded sharply. "You have no right to accuse my patient of being anything, much less, a murderer when you are consistently opposing her in court."_

 _Denver's eyes darkened._

" _I'm afraid, Dr. Roa, that this has nothing to do with my personal rivalry with your patient." he replied. "Although, I_ do _see that my statement seems to have caught your attention. So, if you would please resume your seat, we could talk this out like two gentlemen instead."_

 _Isaac sighed. He walked back over to the table and took his seat. Meanwhile, Denver got up from his seat and walked over to one of the drawers to his left and gathered a multi-coloured file. The file had various labels and documents. Selecting one of the many pieces of paper, Denver casually laid it in front of him._

 _It was the picture of a ring. It was golden and enlarged. It was lying what appeared to be dirt._

" _Tell me, Dr. Roa." Denver asked "How much do you know of the death of Sam Keating?"_

 _Isaac's eyes narrowed._

" _I know what I saw on the television. I know he was killed and his burnt remains were found in a dumpster."_

" _Hmmm. Interesting. Its as I suspected. Ms. Keating did not tell you the whole truth."_

" _If you are suggesting" Isaac's voice rose "that Ms. Keating had a hand in the murder of her husband—"_

" _I'm not saying that she had a hand." Denver replied, cutting him off "I'm saying_ she _was the one who killed him."_

 _Isaac's eyes widened._

No. That can't be true. _Isaac thought wildly,_ Annalise wouldn't—

 _Denver immediately took advantage of Isaac's momentary silence._

" _Are you aware that she was one of the prime suspects in her own husband's murder along with the other person who she conveniently was representing as her client? Are you aware that she had the fingerprints of an innocent man transferred over to her husband's ring—" Here he glanced down at the photograph on the table. "—who was then caught and fired from his position in the police force? All because of your patient's doing?"_

 _Isaac was silent._

 _Denver reached into the file once again and drew forth a fresh photograph. It was the picture of a dead woman, blood trailing down her forehead. Isaac's eyes widened in recognition. Denver caught the look._

" _I see you recognize her. Yes. That's Emily Synclair. One of my A. who was conveniently murdered as she was opposing Annalise on the Hapstall case a few months back."_

 _Isaac's mind flashed back to the day he had gone over to visit Annalise after she had been shot. He remembered her disheveled appearance and her weird behaviorisms. Had this truly been what had occurred at the time?_

 _Denver gazed into Isaac's eyes._

" _I'm simply looking out for your best interests Dr. Roa. If I were you, I would drop Annalise as a patient. And soon. She's not trustworthy and she's a pathological liar."_

 _End Flashback_

Isaac sat down at his table as his mind began to gloss over the events of the day. Never in his wildest imaginations, had he known that it would take such a sharp turn as this out of nowhere.

He recalled the gunshot wound Annalise had received a few months back and how oddly secretive she had been over how she had got it. Her associates, including Bonnie herself, wouldn't tell him anymore than she had.

Isaac frowned.

 _Annalise_ , he thought, _what did you get yourself into?_

* * *

 **Author's note:** **Phew! There you go. That's the longest chapter I have typed till date. Things are slowly heating up between the two. Don't worry, this rift will be resolved in the coming chapters. But before that happens, a few more complications will arise leading to the climax of Season 3 which will be coming up in a few chapters.**

 **Anyways, do let me know of your thoughts regarding this chapter. Read and review.**


	16. Chapter 16

**Heroin and Vodka**

 **Author's note:** **Nothing to say here except that the plot is progressing quicker than I thought. Things are going to get a bit more messy regarding Annalise before they get better from the next chapter onwards. Anyways, enough of my chit chat. Hope you enjoy.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own How To Get Away With Murder. Its plot and characters are the sole property of Pete Nowalk and Shonda Rimes.**

* * *

 **Chapter 16**

Isaac hadn't called back.

It had been six days since she had left the voicemail. It was very much unlike him to never call usually responded within hours, minutes if he wasn't busy.

But the fact remained that he hadn't called back.

Annalise had been over to his place but had instead found the clinic shut with a message pasted on the door—

 _Out of town for a couple of weeks. Will be back by the first week of November. Please call me on my regular number to reschedule your appointments._

Except she had tried calling him. Multiple times. But no one had answered. Each time her call had been redirected to voicemail.

Annalise had found the message pretty odd as therapists would usually stay within the confines of the city, in case of emergency situations regarding patients. They were after all doctors.

Not to mention the disastrous event that went down with Nate a couple days ago.

She had always suspected that Nate felt insecure about Eve, but never had she imagined that the situation would escalate to such a level

 _Flashback- A few days ago…_

 _Annalise was cooking red meat—Nate's favorite dish. She was just adding the finishing touches when Nate walked in. He deposited his jacket on the countertop and walked over to Annalise._

" _Mmm…smells good!" he said, wrapping his arms around her. It was when he was in close proximity that Annalise smelt it. She could recall that smell at any time._

 _The distinct smell of lingering alcohol._

" _You been drinking?" Annalise asked, rounding on him._

" _Yeah. So what if I have?" Nate drawled. "Just because you can't drink doesn't mean I can't as well."_

" _That's not what I meant. I just—" Annalise tried, but was cut off._

" _You slept with Eve?" he asked._

 _Annalise's eyes widened at the question._

" _Where is this even—"_

" _Did you or did you not sleep with Eve?" Nate's voice rose._

 _This time Annalise switched from defense to offense, right off the bat._

" _Would it bother you if I was?" she growled._

 _Nate growled back._

" _Screw who you want. But don't have me living up here—"_

" _It was your choice to move in." Annalise countered._

" _Because you thought that Frank was going to put a bullet in your head." Nate shouted back._

" _Then get out!" Annalise shouted back. "I'd rather be alone than—"_

" _You're an alcoholic." Nate replied._

 _Annalise rolled her eyes in frustration._

" _Of course I am. But I've been sober for months now. But unfortunately you're the same you—so suspicious, so ill-accommodating—"_

" _Are you saying the problem's_ me _?" Nate questioned._

" _I'm saying you're a little bitch, that's what you are." Annalise shot back._

 _Nate's afce darkened. He stepped closer to Annalise until his face was inches away from her's._

 _Annalise backed up into the sink in fright, afraid he was going to hit her. It was then a memory flashed across her mind. It was something that Isaac had told her during one of their sessions way back._

 _ **Flashback**_

 _ **It was towards the end of one of their earlier sessions. He had just been seeing Isaac for a few weeks then. Annnalise had been feeling some of the harsher withdrawal symptoms and had come to Isaac for help.**_

 _ **Isaac had merely smiled at the time and had given her a piece of advice that had held her together all these months.**_

" _ **I can't make you do anything, Annalise. It's hard, I know. Believe me. But most good things in life are hard to come by. So…" He looked directly into her eyes. "Have some fire. Be unstoppable; be a force of nature—because that's the Annalise Keating I know."**_

 _ **End Flashback**_

 _Her resolve sharpened._

" _That surprised you, huh?" she asked, stepping forward, steel in her eyes. "You want to hit me. Good." She shoved her hands against his chests. "_ _ **Hit me. Hit me!**_ _" she shouted._

" _You're a cancer." Nate whispered, inching closer to her. He was so close to her, that she could smell the alcohol in her breath. "It's why Sam cheated on you, why Frank left—"_

" _All those men meant nothing to me!" Annalise shot back, glaring at him._

" _It's why your therapist left." Nate replied, quietly. "And you're going to die alone in this house. And no one's going to give a rat's ass about you—not Eve, not me and definitely not your therapist once he realizes how_ _ **sick**_ _you really are."_

 _Annalise's eyes widened at the mention of Isaac. She had never thought Nate would use Isaac's absence against her in such a cruel manner._

" _Leave." Annalise replied, coldly. "LEAVE!" she shouted, grabbing his jacket off the countertop and throwing it into his hands._

" _Glad to." Nate shouted back, striding towards the door and slamming it shut._

 _End Flashback_

In retrospect, it had been one of the shittiest weeks of her life.

* * *

It had been six days since Isaac had taken up residence at Jacqueline's. He hadn't been left with any other choice, knowing fully well that Annalise would come searching for him as soon as he left her messages unanswered. While Jacqueline had been accommodating at first, she had been pestering him continuously to drop Annalise as a patient, especially after Isaac had confided the whole Denver fiasco to her.

They had had one of those conversations last night itself.

 _Begin Flashback…_

" _Isaac, you're only delaying the inevitable. You have to drop her as a patient." Jacqueline informed him._

" _I can't Jacqueline." Isaac replied. "I know this seems messy, but what kind of therapist would I be if I didn't at least give her a chance to explain herself."_

" _What is there to explain, Isaac?" she shot back, clearly exasperated .Try as she might, she just couldn't make her ex-husband see reason. "She's a criminal with a criminal history."_

" _An alleged criminal. And no criminal history I'm aware of." Isaac replied, in her defense. "Besides, for all I know, this Denver person could be trying to mess with me and—"_

" _Isaac, you're getting too close to her. You need to back off here." Jacqueline replied._

" _What do you mean, "too close"?" he asked, in trepidation._

" _Can't you see, Isaac?" she replied, with a sigh. "You're too emotionally invested inn her to see reason. Even when it's right there in front of your eyes."_

 _End Flashback_

He shook his head in an attempt to clear it. He needed a fresh perspective— a clearer picture. And he needed some space from Annalise to think.

* * *

Isaac waited outside the campus gates. The final bell rang, signaling the end of class.

At first, he had been hesitant about approaching the Keating 5, fully aware of their association with Annalise. He had been puzzled a s to whom to approach.

He decided against the girls for they would not take too kindly to his approach. Besides, one of them could report the matter back to Annalise. Instead , he focused on the boys—Wes Gibbins, Asher Millstone and Conner Walsh.

Of the three, he knew of Asher the least as Annalise rarely mentioned him, mentioning him even less since the shooting incident. Isaac felt there was some connection he was missing.

That left only Wes and Conner.

Of the two, he did not dare approach Wes. Wes was Annalise's only student whom she spoke of frequently during their sessions, almost fondly. It was almost uncanny how often she spoke of him. Thus, he rather doubted he would give away anything detrimental regarding Annalise , especially if it concerned him.

Which only left Conner.

He had looked up Conner's profile on Facebook. It hadn't been too hard to find. The boy was also an active member on other dating sites such as Humpr and Tinder.

As soon as he spotted him leaving the main building, he made a beeline for him.

"Conner Walsh?" Isaac asked, as he stepped up behind him. Conner turned around upon hearing his name.

"Yeah? May I help you?" he asked.

"I certainly hope so." Isaac replied, extending his hand and shaking Conner's. "My name is Dr. Isaac Roa. And I'm here to speak to you regarding Ms. Keating."

* * *

 **Authors note:** **There you go. How many of you saw** _ **that**_ **coming? Bet you all thought he would talk to Wes instead, didn't you? The way I see it, Wes is too loyal to Annalise to just give up information about her to some stranger. Conner, on the other hand, is a different matter entirely.**

 **Anyways, read and review.**


	17. Chapter 17

**Heroin and Vodka**

 **Author's note:** **Ok. This fic is going faster than I anticipated. Ideas just keep pouring into my head left and right. Also, Season 5 is around the corner. What are your opinions regarding Season 5? Do you think it'll live up to the hype of the previous seasons? Do tell in the reviews section.**

 **Anyways, without further ado, lets begin.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own How To Get Away With Murder. Its plot and contents are the sole property of Pete Nowalk and Shonda Rimes.**

* * *

 **Chapter 17**

It was 7 PM in the evening and the Keating 5 had gathered at Micheala's place to study for their upcoming midterms. There was a knock at the door. Micheala went to answer it.

It was Oliver.

"You got to see this." Oliver replied, walking in in a hurry and depositing his bag on the table. In his hands was Simon's computer which Micheala had nicked from him earlier that day.

"What're you doing here, Oli?" Asher asked, looking up from his notes.

" _I_ asked Oliver for a favor." Micheala replied, shutting the door.

"What kind of favor?" Asher followed up.

"I hacked into Simon's laptop." Oliver stated, in a matter of fact manner.

" _You_ stole his computer?" Asher asked, incredulously.

"Nope. That was me." Micheala replied cheerfully, rounding on them.

"You're insane." Laurel said, rolling her eyes.

"Who are you?" Asher replied, continuing on the same vein. "Some kind of hill-billy klepto all of a sudden?"

"OK." Michela said, calmly. "You're all going to be happy I did this when we get his arbitration outline."

"Couldn't find the outline." Oliver informed them.

"Check again." Micheala tried.

"I found something better." Oliver replied, occupying a spot on the couch. He switched on the laptop. The other's eyes widened as they zoomed in on its contents.

It was a digital copy of the 'Annalise-Killer' flyers.

"Oh my god." Micheala whispered.

"We have to tell Wes and Connor." Laurel replied.

"Has anyone _seen_ Connor since afternoon? I mean Wes is holed up at AK's—but what about Connor?"

"I saw him last in Torts." Micheala supplied.

* * *

Connor followed the man into a café near campus in trepidation. He had a really bad feeling about this. What on earth could this man possibly want to know about Annalise? He certainly hoped that he wasn't an undercover cop or something. His mind flashed back to the earlier meeting that morning with Wes.

 _Flashback_

 _Connor knocked at Annalise's door. Wes answered._

Connor walked in slowly.

" _I half-expected you to be trying on her wigs and clothes by now." Connor replied sarcastically._

 _Wes rolled his eyes and shut the door._

" _Annalise isn't here." Wes informed him._

" _Oh, I know." Connor replied , rounding on him. "I…umm…was just wondering whether my good friend was thinking about someone else other than himself for once?"_

" _Meaning?" Wes asked._

" _You're thinking about going to the police, right?" Connor asked, already knowing the answer to his question._

 _Wes looked away._

" _Tell them everything you know?" he asked._

" _You should go." Wes replied._

" _I think you should listen to what I have to say." Connor asserted._

" _You blame me for everything. I get it." Wes replied._

" _Of course I blame you for everything." Connor's voice rose. "You're the reason why everything good in our lives is gone."_

" _Frank did this." Wes replied angrily._

" _No. You did this." Connor shot back. "The minute that you killed Sam. You know—I was just trying to figure out how to get my head on straight and finally get out of this mess you made without the one good thing in my life—"_

" _Now Oliver is my fault too?" Wes interjected._

" _ **Everything that has happened to us in this house is your fault!"**_ _Connor shouted. "If you say anything to the police—"_

" _I'm not—"_

" _If you—" Connor asserted, cutting him off "—mention my name to the police, I swear to God I_ _ **will**_ _kill you."_

 _Without another word, he turned around and lef._

 _End Flashback_

On the other hand, Isaac was beginning to have second thoughts about this entire endeavor. This was after all an ethical violation on his part. He had no right to seek information regarding a patient from any other source other than the patient himself or herself. If Annalise ever came to know of this, she would most certainly go after his license to practice. As it is, he had narrowly dodged a bullet with the whole Jacqueline fiasco. He was pretty sure this was a two-strike system.

Besides ethical violation, he should be asking Annalise herself, not sneaking around behind her back and accost her students. It left a bad taste in his mouth.

Still, what was done was done. There was no turning back now.

Isaac asked for a corner booth so that the two may converse without any interruption. Isaac occupied hid seat with Connor following soon after.

"So…" Isaac replied, wondering how to begin the conversation. He couldn't just jump in and ask him confidential information regarding Annalise. He decided to start off light. "Would you like something to drink? Tea? Coffee?"

"Coffee sounds good." Connor replied, his eyes darting to the door. He wondered whether s\he should make a run for it, but decided against it.

Isaac called over the waiter and ordered two coffees.

"Now…as I have already mentioned, my name is Dr. Isaac Roa. What you don't know about me is that I'm Ms. Keating's therapist." he replied calmly.

Connor let out an inward sigh of relief at that. So he wasn't a cop after all.

"Oh. So _you're_ Dr. Roa. Annalise mentioned you to us sometimes." he replied. "You appear to have done a good job. Annalise hasn't touched booze in months."

Isaac couldn't help but smile softly at that. At least his efforts had paid off.

"Annalise has told me a lot about you, you know? You, Wes, Asher, Micheala and Laurel. I believe she refers to you as the 'Keating 5'?"

Connor's face darkened at the mention of the term.

"Oh yeah. We're the Keating 5 alright. Annalise's little murder crew" he spat out harshly.

Isaac's eyes widened at that.

"I'm sorry, what was that?" he asked, hoping that he had heard wrong.

Connor looked away and bit his lips. He cursed inwardly. He had said far too much.

"I'm sorry. It was nothing." he replied , with a forced smile.

Isaac didn't buy the fake smile but decided not to push him.

"So… I suppose you lot feel quite special? After all, you were personally handpicked by Annalise herself."

Connor rolled his eyes.

"Sure. Yeah. We feel special. After all, we handle tasks for her that _no one_ else can handle. That is, other than her associates."

 _Like chopping up body parts in the forest and depositing them in a dumpster,_ Connor thought inwardly.

Isaac could tell that there was more to Connor's statement than he was letting on.

"What other tasks do you handle for Annalise?" he asked, drawing out a note pad from his abg accompanied by a pen.

Connor eyed the notepad warily. Isaac caught his look and chuckled.

"Oh. Don't worry about these." he said, waving them off. " It's an old habit. Don't be afraid to speak your mind."

The waiter arrived and deposited the coffee on the table and left.

Isaac took an experimental sip of his coffee. He watched Connor out of the corner of his eyes. He hadn't touched the coffee yet. He was eyeing it with a look that made him feel like the cup might just take his head off.

"So…" Isaac replied, setting his cup down "Has Annalise ever asked you to do something you weren't comfortable doing?"

Connor's eyes widened before they narrowed. He got up from his seat.

"Just what exactly are you implying?" he asked suspiciously. There was a rough edge to his voice, bordering on anger and anxiety—two not healthy emotional combinations.

"I merely meant whether Annalise has ever asked you to do something unethical for her? As a lawyer, I'm sure she—"

"Then as a _therapist,_ you should know that you're violating confidentiality." Connor shot back, cutting him off. He grabbed his bag and slung it across his shoulders. "You want to know if Annalsie has ever done anything 'unethical'? Just look up '20th December' online. You'll know." he replied ominously.

Without another word, Connor turned around and left, not once looking back.

Isaac sighed.

 _Well….that was….unexpected._

While Connor hadn't answered all his questions, his behavior had certainly taken the man by surprise. He was confident that he was hiding something from him.

* * *

Isaac had just gotten back to Jacqueline's and was about to look up 20th December on his laptop, when his phone pinged.

Glancing down, he noticed it was another voicemail from Annalise. Sighing, he was about to swipe away the notification when he glanced at the time.

It read 10:52 PM.

 _That's odd_ , he thought. It was certainly an odd time for Annalise to be calling. He decided to hear the voicemail. Clicking the voicemail, he put his phone to his ear.

At first, he couldn't hear a voice. There was merely music playing in the backgroundThen he caught her voice. It sounded slurred and disorderly.

" _I knew you weren't going to pick up. But I was calling to say…you're lucky as hell that you left. Cuz now, you don't have to deal with this mess anymore and I got a lot of it. Like I need to tell you."_ Here, she paused and chuckled. _"You can thank me next time you see me. "That is, if you ever do."_

Isaac's eyes widened in shock.

Annalise had relapsed.

* * *

 _These are the days in your life_

 _When the price of the time is free_

 _Like your daddy said the world's your's_

 _So let it flow natuarally._

 _All the season's changes_

 _Escort them with a kiss_

… _._

"So eat the peach without the pit…" Annalise sang along in a drunken stupor, a bottle of vodka clasped in her hands.

Suddenly, she heard a knocking at the door. Walking up to it, she opened it.

It was Isaac.

"Heeeeyyyy!" she called out. " Isaac. Come in. Come in." she said, welcoming him in. "You came back. Finally. Come dance with me."

Isaac's eyes widened as he noticed Annalise's appearance. She was in a disheveled state and was wearing her night dress. Her hair was astray and she had saliva rolling down her mouth.

"Annalise! What did you do to yourself?" Isaac asked in shock.

"What?" she shot back.

Isaac eyed the bottle in her hands. Annalise caught her look.

"Oh. This? This ain't nothing. This is only my seventh glass after all." she said, walking back into the living room.

Isaac could only watch in shock as Annalise stumbled into the living room, reaching for the glass, on the countertop. Isaac quickly caught her hand.

"That's enough, Annalise!" he replied sternly, grabbing the bottle before she could start chugging from it directly.

Annalise rounded on him with a fierce glare.

"You have no right telling me what's 'enough'!" she shouted back. "Didn't seem to care all those days back when I left those messages? Where were you then huh?!"

Isaac looked away in guilt. He knew he was at fault for her current condition.

"That's right." she shot back. "You left! So don't come barging in here and telling me that's enough. Cuz you haven't seen **enough** yet!" She made a grab for the bottle.

But Isaac wasn't having any of that.

"You are not drinking any more Annalise. That final!" he shot back, placing the bottle on a shelf out of her reach.

"Who do you think you are? Coming into _my_ house and taking _my_ drink? **Just who the hell do you think you are?** " she shouted as she beat her fists against his chest. She began to sob as tears ran down her face.

Isaac's heart twisted in pain. This was all his fault. If he had never ignored Ananlise when she needed him the most, she wouldn't be in this condition right now.

"I'm sorry, Annalise." Isaac replied. "I…I'm so sorry."

Annalise continued to sob into his chest. The man held him firmly in his arms as she cried.

"You abandoned me." She whispered softly.

Isaac was quiet as she sobbed. He gently stroked her head in a comforting manner.

"Lets get you up to bed." he replied, holding her steadily as he began to climb the flight of stairs. " We can talk about this tomorrow, when you're sober."

* * *

As Isaac tucked Annalise away, his heart twisted in pain. He shouldn't have ignored her. She was doing so well….and now her sobriety was ruined. And he was to blame.

He gently stroked her head, humming softly under his breath.

He bent down to kiss her forehead.

Instead Annalise reached out and pulled his face closer. Their lips met.

He pressed his forehead against her's gently. Had they been moving towards this the entire time?

Annalise's drunken mind was in a whirl.

Is this why she hadn't sought out anyone else? Not even Nate? Is this why? Because she had found what she was looking for. She told herself silently that he wasn't like Sam— he wouldn't hurt her, woudn't use her private thoughts and words against her.

This was right. This was good for her, good for them despite every obstacle presented before them. He had left her more than enough room to walk away, to still leave some part of their relationship intact. But Annalise didn't want that. Not anymore. She had been giving all this time and it was time for her to receive.

Isaac brushed his lips experimentally against her's . A million thoughts were swirling in his head as his lips gently touched her's.

 _This is'nt right. Jacqueline was right. I'm getting too close! …._ Were the thoughts pounding against his brain. But miraculously, each of these thoughts gave way to nothing as she pushed her lips against his.

She soon gave away and dropped back onto her pillow, out cold.

Isaac watched her tenderly, wondering what on earth was about to happen come next morning. He decided he didn't care. They would sort it out, come what may.

* * *

 **Author's note:** **There you go! Their first kiss! How did you guys like it. I had to get quite imaginative as I've never written a kiss before. Hope I was able to satisfy your expectations. Don't worry. The next chapter will be juicy as well! Anyways, the season mid-finale is drawing closer and will be taking place in about 3 chapters—2 if I can manage it.**

 **Anyways, read and review.**


	18. Chapter 18

**Heroin and Vodka**

 **Author's note:** **I am so happy that this story has already reached 19 reviews—and that's a lot considering that this is fanfiction on HTGAWM. I would like to thank all those of you who have taken the time out of your busy lives to leave a review. Thank you so much!**

 **Anyways, things between Annalise and Isaac will resolve itself in this chapter and there is more to come. The season mid-finale is just around the corner and will take place in a few chapters itself.  
Also, Season 5 is about to come out in a few weeks. Really annoyed that the TGIT promo isn't out yet. **

**Anyways, enough of my rambling. Let's get on with the story.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own how To Get Away With Murder. Its plot and characters are the sole property of Pete Nowalk and Shonda Rhimes.**

* * *

 **Chapter 18**

The bright morning sun peaked through the blinders, raising Annalise out of her drunken slumber. She reached for her bedside table and grabbed her phone, switching it on. It read 8:45 AM.

She sighed.

She had a massive hangover from last night's overindulgence. She felt a pang o guilt when she recalled how she had fished out the bottles of vodka from the trash and taken a swig which had turned into multiple swigs thereafter.

She wouldn't ever be able to look Isaac in the eye again. She felt a lump arise in her throat as she recalled Isaac's words.

 _I'm so proud of you, Annalise._

She began to walk downstairs and reached the landing. It was still too early for Bonnie to show up. She decided to get a head start on the day and the first course of action was to resolve this damn hangover!

She was just crossing the den and into the kitchen, when she spotted a figure lying on the couch, fast asleep. Startled, her eyes zoned in on the figure and she gave a start of surprise.

It was Isaac.

Her eyes widened as memories from the previous night flashed into her head.

" _Heeeeyyyy!" she called out. " Isaac. Come in. Come in." she said, welcoming him in. "You came back. Finally. Come dance with me."_

" _Annalise! What did you do to yourself?_

" _That's enough, Annalise!" he replied sternly, grabbing the bottle before she could start chugging from it directly._

 _Annalise rounded on him with a fierce glare._

" _You have no right telling me what's 'enough'!" she shouted back. "Didn't seem to care all those days back when I left those messages? Where were you then huh?!"_

" _Who do you think you are? Coming into my house and taking my drink?_ _ **Just who the hell do you think you are?**_ _"_

The sudden rush of memories sent Annalise into a dizzy fit and coupled with the hangover and the emotional stress, was too much for Annalise to handle. She attempted to steady herself, failed miserably and collapsed onto the floor, knocking over the coat rack. The coat rack landed on the floor with a loud _thud_.

Isaac's eyes snapped open from the sudden shock. Startled, he got up and spotted Annalise sprawled on the floor.

"Annalise!" Isaac shouted, rushing to her aid. He ran upto her, bent down and steadily helped her up. It was difficult given Annalise's hangover but Isaac managed to raise her onto a standing position and helped her to the couch. He set her down gently.

Annalise, meanwhile was looking away pointedly from him.

"Annalise, what were you thinking?" Isaac asked sternly, "Don't you remember how much you had to drink last night? You should have been more careful while coming downstairs—"

"I didn't fall down the stairs, if that's what you're implying." she cut across, "Besides…" she replied, turning to look him in the eye "…what are you doing here?"

Isaac shifted uncomfortably in his seat.

"You called me. Remember?" he replied.

Annalise quirked an eyebrow.

"Oh, I remember that. What I don't understand is what you're _doing_ here?" she asked, skeptically.

"What do you mean?" Isaac asked, his eyebrows knitting together in confusion. " You called me and—"

"What I _meant—"_ Annalise replied, cutting him off once more, "—was that you didn't seem to _care_ when I left those messages for you all those days back. Why are you here _now_?" she asked, harshly.

Annalise's tone caught Isaac off guard. He shifted in his seat. This time _he_ was the one who wouldn't meet her gaze.

Both of them were silent for a few minutes. Annalise began to tap her foot impatiently, awaiting a response. Finally, she had had just about enough of the silence.

"Well, if you're not going to tell me, then I—"

"I'm sorry, Annalise." Isaac blurted out. "I'm so sorry." he replied. When Annalise looked up at him, he caught a look in his eyes.

It was a look of deep regret and guilt.

Isaac sighed.

"I know I'm to blame for your relapse, Annalise. If I had never ignored your messages, then you—"

"Why did you ignore my messages?" she asked, cutting across. Tears began to slide down her face as she began to sob. "Why did you ignore _me,_ Isaac?"

Isaac's eyes widened. He reached out and gently began to stroke her hair. She leant into his touch unconsciously. Isaac wrapped his arms around her comfortingly.

"Annalise, I—" Isaac was struggling to find words to convey the feelings which were trembling inside of him. He couldn't find the words necessary to express his inner turmoils. Try as he might, he couldn't think of any excuse which would suffice in this situation.

Annalise had become more than a patient to him. He didn't know when it happened. When the two had crossed that fine line between patient and—what was she to him now? A friend. Yes. That's right. She had become his friend. She was a strong and talented woman who had so much potential in her.

As he thought this, an image of Annalise pressing her lips against his flashed though his mind. He shook his head to clear his thoughts.

"Annalise." he replied, softly, "I-I'm not angry at you."

Annalise looked up.

"I let you down." she replied, softly. "I should have been stronger." She looked away in guilt.

Isaac gently turned her head back to face him.

"You _are_ strong, Annalise" he asserted. "Don't you dare doubt that! You are more than my patient. You….you are my friend." A pained look crossed his face. "And I failed you. As your therapist. As your friend."

Annalise gazed up at him.

"You think I'm your friend?" Annalise asked, softly.

Isaac looked her in the eye.

"Yes, Annalise. You are my friend. And I should have been there for you when you needed me the most."

Annalise looked away.

"Will I _ever_ get better, Isaac?" she asked in a morose tone.

Isaac took her hand in his and clenched it softly.

"You will, Annalise. You have so much potential in you. You are strong and courageous woman. I have complete faith that you will recover your sobriety, Annalise" he replied, softly.

Annalise simply buried her head deeper into his chest.

It would all be fine then. It wasn't over after all. She just needed the man by her side. The man who had stood by her at all times. Who believed in her. Who had helped her overcome her worst memories.

Who had acknowledged her as a friend.

Yes. It would all be fine.

* * *

 **Author's note:** **Phew! Believe it or not, writing out these emotional scenes are quite a tough job. Believe me! Just to clarify, Annalise doesn't remember the kiss. Their true first kiss will come later on in Season 3. I've got it planned for a special moment. I didn't have Isaac grill Annalise about her past because that would have been really cruel actually. Besides, the time hasn't arrived yet for Isaac to learn of all of Annalise's misdeeds. Also, another shoutout to nastygustin for helping me out with this chapter. You rock!**

 **Anyways, the next chapter will be out by late September. Till the, have a good time. Oh, and read and review.**


	19. Chapter 19

**Heroin and Vodka**

 **Authors's note:** **Like I promised, the next chapter is finally out. I've been planning this chapter for months and I'm really excited now that I get to share it with you guys. Anyways, the Season 5 premier is out. So what are your thoughts about it? Do let me know in the review. I'm personally hyped for Season 5. Can't wait for the mid-finale to get my answers. Anyways, without further ado, lets begin.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own How To Get Away With Murder. Its plot nad characters are the sole property of Pete Nowalk and Shonda Rhimes.**

* * *

 **Chapter 19**

Annalise was walking through the campus with a smile on her face and a slight spring in her step. This was a rare sight in itself, as things around Annalise were more often than not chaotic. But currently, all was fine with the world.

Frank had (successfully) framed Charles Mahoney for the murder of his father, Wallace Mahoney. This meant that after months of much anxious waiting, Wes was finally safe. Annalise had a soft corner in her heart for the boy. She knew she was responsible for the boy's mother's death. This was precisely the reason why she had chosen him off the waitlist at Middleton—to ensure that she could keep the boy under watch.

Sometimes she couldn't help but feel that Wes detested him. After all, had she not chosen Wes for her 'Keating 5', then he wouldn't have gotten involved in the mess with Sam. While Wes had never outright came out and said it to her face, she still had a nagging suspicion that the boy secretly mistrusted and disliked her.

Other than Frank messing up her life as usual, she had thankfully not heard from him. Annalise was pretty sure she would end up killing the man if she ever saw him again.

Other than that, life was all fine and dandy. Of course, her sobriety was at an all time low, since last week's mishap. But Isaac had promised her she wouldn't be relapsing again any time soon and that he would be present to help her all the way through.

She couldn't help but feel warm at the thought of the man. It was strange as she had been having these odd feelings within her for a week now. It was a strange warmth which seeped through her body and lit up like a flame in her heart, shining brightly and strongly.

Shaking her head, she entered the class as all the students took their respective seats and the class quieted down. Everyone was at the edge of their seats as it was the day of their mid-term.

Annalise cleared her throat before gazing up at the class.

"Welcome to your mid-term exam." she replied, as she assessed each of their faces. "Before each of you, is a case file for your client—" She paused to click the remote in her hand, the screen flaring to life, displaying an image of a convict. "—Ted Mundy. Its 1989, and he is weeks away from the electric chair for the violent murder of thirty young women. You each get one minute to convince me, the Chief Justice of the Florida Supreme Court, to overturn his death sentence. Does , an infamous serial killer, rapist and necrophile deserve to live? You better convince me that he _does_ or a sociopath dies on your watch."

* * *

It had been a long day. Exam days were usually always long. She had to not only take the exam, but had to assess the student's performance there and then itself. The good thing was that Wes, Connor, Micheale, Asher and Laurel had each secured the passing grade, which was quite a relief in her opinion. As she crossed her lawn, she spotted Bonnie sitting on the porch. She looked up at her as she walked towards her.

A forbodding feeling rose in Annalise's chest as she spotted the expression on Bonnie's face.

"He in there?" she asked quietly.

Bonnie didn't need to ask whom she was referring to. She nodded mutely.

"Go home." Annalise ordered, walking past her and climbing the stairs.

"No." Bonnie replied.

"You had your time with him, lied to my face about it. This is _my_ time." she replied. "Leave."

The door opened as she walked in. It creaked shut behind her. She made her way to the living room and spotted Frank seated on the couch.

He gulped.

"Thank you for seeing me." he replied.

Annalise didn't dignify him with a response.

"I begged Sam to let me tell you. Everyday after we got back, you were just…locked up in that bedroom. But…he woudn't even let me in the house. He knew me so well. Knew how to make me do what he wanted. And the more time went on, I thought….maybe he was went back to work, got better."

Annalise's head was pounding as she heard the word 'better'. How _dare_ he assume she got better?

"I never got better." She replied quietly. "You watched me suffer all those years. You watched me think that _I_ killed my boy."

Frank was avoiding eye contact with Annalise.

"You watched Sam and I fall apart. And you said nothing."

"Sam wouldn't let me." Frank tried.

Annalise had had enough of Frank's excuses. But she didn't her anger show just yet.

"Oh. You had all those months to apologize. And all you can do is blame Sam?" Her voice began to break. "Y-You killed my son."

Tears ran down Frank's eyes as he began to cry.

"That was you." Annalise sniffled. "And you had the _nerve…_ the nerve to stay in my life. Make me trust you, take care of you."

"I just want to fix this." Frank replied.

"How can you do that? Hmm? How are you going to do that, Frank? You're going to erase is all? Take everything away? Give me my baby back?"

"I can try." Frank replied, softly.

"You cant." Annalise asserted.

"I can." Frank replied, as he put his hand behind him and pulled out a semi-automatic, cocking it, placing the nozzle at his throat. "Let me fix it." he cried.

All was quiet for a minute as none of them spoke.

"What's taking you so long, huh?" Annalise whispered. "You think I'm going to fell guilty about it?"

"I love you Annalise." Frank sobbed. As he was about to pull the trigger, Bonnie appeared around the corner.

Her eyes widened as she spotted Frank.

"Frank. Don't." she whispered.

"Get out." Annalise replied.

"This just hurts her more." Bonnie tried.

"You'll do this for me." Annalise asserted.

"This isn't what she wants." Bonnie replied.

"This is _exactly_ what I want." Annalise replied.

"You made your point!" Bonnie's voice rose.

"She can't survive this." Bonnie cried.

"Pull it. Do it." Annalise replied, egging him on.

" _I_ can't survive this." Bonnie sobbed.

"Pull the trigger. Pull it." Annalise screamed.

"Please don't, Frank!" Bonnie cried.

""Sam was wrong about you, Frank." Annalise replied.

"She doesn't mean any of this." Bonnie replied. Tears streaming down her face.

"That's all you'll ever be—sick and depraved. Its time for you to go." Annalise replied scathingly. "You know what you are deep down inside. That's why you pulled that gun, right? So you can do something good for once. This is your chance."

Frank continued to sob, eyes shut.

"Look at me Frank!" Bonnie replied, "Only me. This only makes it worse for her."

"I can handle it." Annalise asserted.

"She's saying this because she's hurt." Bonnie replied.

"If you do this, you're making her a killer." Bonnie asserted.

"It's all she wants ." Frank replied, vehemently.

"Its not." Bonnie sobbed.

"It _is_." Annalise replied, with force.

"She knows this was Sam." Bonnie tried.

"But Sam didn't kill anyone. It was _you."_ Annalise replied.

"You know me, Frank." Bonnie replied, "You know this will kill me."

"You deserve better than me." Frank replied, pushing the nozzle deeper into his throat, as he prepared to pull the trigger.

"Frank. You love me, right? You know me better than anyone. So, please. Do this for me." She reached out and placed her hand over his. "That night meant everything to me. You love me. You don't have to say it. Just don't do this." She pulled the gun away from his hand and set it on the countertop. Frank began to sob, as he rested his head on her lap and began to cry. She looked up at Annalise, who was watching quietly.

"I'm sorry." Frank replied.

Annalise was quiet for a few moments before she replied.

"You should have done it." she replied, hatefully. She turned and strode towards the door.

"Where are you going?" Bonnie asked.

"Away from you two pathetic people, that's all." she replied, slamming the door shut behind her.

* * *

As she stepped outdoors, the cool November breeze hit her face, clearing her mind of all that had transpired in the last few minutes.

Her first thought was to grab a few much needed drinks at the bar round the corner. But Annalise knew she couldn't possibly go about risking her sobriety once again. Which left her with only one option.

* * *

There was a knocking at the door. Isaac had just seen his last patient to the door a few minutes ago. He had been about to turn in when he heard the knocking at the doore. He had a hunch about who had come calling so late at night.

As he walked down the hallway leading to the door, he spotted Annalise's familiar silhouette against his door. He smiled softly.

He had quite gotten used to Annalise's presence at this time. She had been coming over much frequently in the last week since her breakdown, not wishing to take any chances with her sobriety, which was currently at an all time low. But Isaac had faith in her. He was confident she would be able to recuperate just fine.

"I was wondering when you'd show up—" but he abruptly stopped as she spotted the look on her face.

Tears were streaming down her face. Her eyes were all scrunched up in pain. Her hair was disheveled and her make up was running down her face.

Isaac's eyes widened in shock.

"Annalise! What's wrong?" Isaac asked, as he reached out and pulled her inside.

Annalise began to sob. She buried her head in his chest, tears streaming down her face.

"Annalise." Isaac replied, forcing his voice to be calm. One of them had to be and he was the therapist here. "What happened?"

His soft baritone broke the depressing cloud hovering over her head. She raised her head and looked up at the man. His eyes were soft and warm.

"I-I don't know what to say." Annalise replied.

Despite the seriousness of the situation, Isaac couldn't help but chuckle softly. He reached out and gently brushed her tears away.

"Firstly, come in. Settle down. We can talk later." he replied.

He led her to his study and sat her down on her usual couch. Annalise was busy wiping the tears away from her eyes. Isaac disappeared for a few minutes before he reappeared, a cup of steaming hot cocoa in his hands. He handed it to Annalise. Annalise accepted it gratefully and took a tentative sip. The warmth of the cocoa seeped down her throat, warming her insides.

Isaac waited patiently as Annalise finished her cocoa. She gently set the cup down on the desk before looking up at him.

"I'm pathetic. I know." she replied.

Isaac raised an eyebrow. He got up and sat down beside her.

Annalise was pointedly looking away from him.

Isaac reached out and placed his finger under her chin and raised her head. Annalise's eyes locked with his.

"I've known you for eight months now, Annalise and _that_ is not a word I'd use to describe you." he replied, softly.

Annalise couldn't help but smile softly at that.

"Where do I begin?" she replied, a tiny smile playing around the edges of her lips.

"I've heard the beginning is always a great place to begin." Isaac replied, with a small smirk.

Annalise mirrored the smirk before she began to chuckle. Her chuckle evolved into full-fledged laughter and soon both of them were laughing softly.

Annalise's phone began to vibrate. She glanced down at the phone. It was Bonnie.

Irritated, she clicked 'Receive' and put the phone to her ears.

"What is it, Bonnie?" she asked, annoyed.

When Bonnie's voice sounded from the other end, it was high-pitched and there sounded to be a lot of other voices in the background. She could hardly make out what she was saying.

"Come back Annalise. Something terrible has happened."

Annalise's blood froze as she heard Bonnie's reply. Her voice sounded shaken and petrified with fear.

Isaac spotted the change in Annalise's expression and frowned.

"What is it, Annalise?" he asked, worried.

Annalise lloked up at Isaac. Her pupils were contracted with fear.

"Something…has happened." she replied, getting up. "Could you give me a ride back home, Isaac? I didn't bring my car."

Isaac nodded.

"Sure." he replied.

* * *

Annalise was silent the entire way. It wasn't the awkward type of silence that they two usually shared. Isaac had actually gotten used to that type of silence long ago. No. This was different. This was an eerie type of silence. The only sound he could hear was her soft breathing and the occasional honking of a car.

As Isaac rounded the street leading up to Annalise's house, he spotted it. At first, he couldn't believe what he seeing. He thought maybe he was hallucinating or something. But despite repeatedly closing and opening his eyes, in rapid succession, the image before his eyes refused to fade.

Towering flames engulfed Annalise's house as they were licking away at the remnants of the house.  
The fire brigade had arrived and were attempting to douse the fire. A large number of people had gathered in front of the house.

As the car came to a stop in front of the house, Annalise rushed out. She pushed her way through the crowd and appeared at the front. Isaac attempted to follow her.

She was soon stopped by one of the fire brigadiers.

"I'm afraid you can't go any further. Mam." he replied.

"This is my house." Annalise tried. "I need to—"

But she was cut off as she spotted a trolley being lifted into an ambulance nearby. She couldn't see clearly as it had a sheet coving its contents.

"Who is that? Tell me. Tell me." she whispered.

"Mam, we can't let you move any further. This is restricted area." the man replied.

But Annalise wasn't having any of that. She pushed past the man and went off dashing towards the ambulance. The man attempted to stop her but failed. Isaac rushed behind her, pusing aside the security man as well.

Annalise rushed up to the ambulance.

"I need to see who it is." she asked.

"Mam, I'm not authorized to show you the body." the attending replied.

"That's alright. I live here."

The attending sighed and nodded. Isaac watched almost in a daze. Everything seemed to slow down around him. It was almost as if time itself had frozen. It was a feeling he had often experienced when he had been high. But something deep within him told him that such wasn't the case this time.

The attending pulled back the sheet to reveal who it was.

Annalise recoiled in horror as she spotted who it was. She began to sob and bawl vehemently, her screams rending the still night air.

Isaac attempted to look past Annalise. His eyes fell on the corpse.

His eyes widened in recognition and shock.

It was Wes Gibbins.

* * *

 **Author's note:** **There you go. The mid-finale you've all been looking forward to. It took me quite some time to plan out this chapter. This is also the longest chapter so far. Hope you liked it.**

 **The next chapter will be out by mid-October. So, stay tuned. Oh and do read and review, guys.**


	20. Chapter 20

**Heroin and Vodka**

 **Author's note:** **So…the second half of Season 3 begins. Annalise will be charged for arson and first degree murder. I will be altering a few things in this second half. Trust me. Its going to be a roller coaster ride. I had a lot of fun planning this second half. Anyways, without further ado, lets begin.**

* * *

 **Chapter 20**

To say, Isaac was shocked would be the understatement of the century. He watched, dazed as the attending covered up the half-burnt body of Wes Gibbins and carried it into the ambulance and shut the doors and left. Isaac could even recall the last time he had seen the young man at the Middleton campus when he had gone over to interrogate Connor. He had been hale and hearty and had been chatting with Laurel, a wide smile on his face.

And now he was dead.

Annalise's screams snapped Isaac out of his daze. He turned to see Annalise bawling and crying as her house blazed in the background. But she didn't seem to care. The only thing on her mind was Wes.

Still in a daze, Isaac walked over to Annalise and placed an arm on her shoulder. He pulled her into his chest as she continued to sob.

"He's dead. H-He's dead." She continued to whisper.

"I know Annalise." Isaac replied softly, trying his best to comfort the woman, but failing miserably." But you have to calm yourself, Annalise. You _have_ to _!_ He's gone. And crying for him wont bring him back."

Annalise quieted down considerably. She still continued to sob. Isaac gently brushed away the tears rolling down her cheek. He was about to carry her over to his car when a person walked over to them accompanied by another lady.

"Are you Ms. Annalise Keating?" the peron asked.

Annalise nodded mutely.

"You're in shock now and I understand that but we need to get as much information from you as possible. I'm Detective Earnshaw and this is Detective Beckett." he replied, indicating to the woman.

Annalise gave no indication that she had heard. She just mutely stared past them and watched the fire as it engulfed her house. You could see the dancing flames reflected in her eyes.

Isaac looked at them, brows knitting together in irritation.

"Cant this wait? She's in no state to answer any of your questions right now." he replied.

"I'm afraid it cant. We have to do our job,. And who are you?" he asked.

"I'm Dr. Roa. Miss Keating's therapist."

"As I have already mentioned, we cant do this later, I'm afraid." he replied.

Isaac sighed and nodded.

"Miss Keating, where were you tonight?" Detective Earnshaw asked.

Annalise remained silent.

"Miss Keating."

At the clinic. I had to pick up some work."

Isaac raised his eyebrows in surprise and was about to speak up, when Annalise shot him a look and slightly shook her head to the left. Isaac took the cue and stopped. The detective continued on, not having noticed the small interaction.

"Did anyone else see you there? Can anyone vouch for your whereabouts?" he asked.

Annalise looked up at him defiantly.

This time Isaac answered.

"You're joking. The woman's house is burning down and you want to make her a suspect?" he asked indignantly.

"This is of no concern to you, Dr. Roa. So I would suggest you not reply on behalf of Miss. Keating." Detective Earnshaw answered.

Isaac looked furious at that and was about to argue further when Annalise spoke up.

"I'm with him on this. You cant _possibly_ be thinking of me as a suspect?"

"Hold on. No one's saying anything and—" but Annalise cut him off.

"You can be a monster, fine. But don't be a dumb ass as well." she replied heatedly.

"To be clear—" Detective Beckett spoke up "—your neighbors saw your car in the driveway all day."

Annalise turned to face her. She looked back at Detective Earnshaw.

"You want to arrest me? For burning down my house? Then **do it!** Do it. **Arrest me!"** she replied.

"Calm down mam. We'll speak to you in a while about this. We just have to confirm something." Saying that, both detectives left to talk to the fire brigade men.

Isaac turned to Annalise.

"Why did you not tell the truth, Annalise? That you were with me?" Isaac asked.

Before Annalise could reply,her phone pinged.

Glancing down at the phone, her eyes widened. She discreetly shuffled off to the side and listened to the message. She walked back over to Isaac.

"Who was that?" Isaac asked.

"No one important." she replied. "Look, I don't want you to be involved in my mess. Let _me_ deal with it for once."

"Annalise, you don't—" but he was cut off when a voice shouted out.

"Annalise! Annalise!" the voice shouted, at a distance , trying to grab her attention. Annalise turned to face the crowd. She spotted Oliver in the distance, waving at her.

"Let him through." Annalise asked the gaurds holding back the crowd. Oliver rushed over to Annalise, not seeming to notice Isaac.

"Someone said there was a body. Is it true? Do you know who it is?" he asked, in a worried tone.

"No one knows anything yet." Annalise replied, trying to calm him down. Despite noticing the lie, Isaac didn't interrupt her this time.

"Ok. But what if its true?" he asked, not listening to reason.

"Stop it." Annalise replied. "Let's not let our minds go there."

Isaac observed as she stepped closer to him until her face was inches away from his. She discretely handed her phone over to him. Oliver nodded shakily and disappeared back into the crowd.

"Wipe it clean. Everything on it." she replied. She stepped away. As soon as she did, the detectives walked back over to her.

"Miss Keating , we're going to have to do this right now." Detective Earnshaw pulled out a pair of handcuffs and clicked them onto Annalise's wrists.

"Annalise Keating, you're under arrest. You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say now can and will be used against you in court. Do you understand these terms as I state them to you?" he asked.

"Yes." she replied.

Isaac watched grimly as Annalise was carried off into the detective's car. The car revved up and drove off into the distance. He was about to follow in his own car when he heard another shout from the distance.

"Isaac, what happened?" Bonnie asked, rushing up to him. "Where's Annalise?"

Isaac sighed.

"The police just arrested her a while ago."

Her eyes widened.

"What?" Bonnie asked." When? Why?"

"I guess for arson and…well…" he paused, unsure as to how to tell her the rest. Bonnie immediately caught the hesitation on his face. Her eyebrows knitted together in a frown.

"Isaac, what are you not telling me?" she asked." What is it?"

Isaac locked eyes with her.

"Its…Its Wes Gibbins. He…He's dead." he replied in a low voice, unsure as to who might be eavesdropping on them.

Bonnie's eyes widened in shock.

"Wes?" she repeated.

Isaac nodded grimly.

"In the fire?" she asked for clarification.

"I'm guessing." Isaac replied slowly.

Bonnie nodded.

"I'll have to head over to the police station and clarify the charges before this situation gets out of hand."

As if the night hadn't been taxing enough, it was at that moment that the head fireman shouted out.

"Hey! Everyone quiet." He pulled out his transmitter which was beeping, signaling an incoming message.

"Rescue one. Rescue one. This is priority." the voice crackled from the other end.

"This is Gates. Talk to me."

The voice crackled at the other end.

"We have another occupant. We're bringing them out now." the voice rep[lied from the other end.

Isaac's eyes widened in shock.

"Status?" Gates asked.

"We have a pulse. I repeat. We have a pulse." the voice replied from the other end. Gates turned to the other fireman.

"I want an ambulance ready with police escorts. Let's go."

Isaac waited with bated breathing as 3 minutes or so passed, without any other activity. Soon two fireman appeared from the raging inferno, carrying a body between them. The stretch rushed up to them and they deposited the body on it. Isaac rushed over to the stretcher and immediately recognized the second victim of the deadly fire.

It was Laurel Castillo.

* * *

 **Author's note:** **Yeah. I know. I ended it on a similar note as the last chapter. But I thought it was good way to end the chapter. Now, I'm sure you all are wondering why Annalise didn't reveal that she had an alibi for the night—Isaac. Don't worry. Isaac will enter the picture in the coming chapters and will help Annalise in his own way. I have something juicy planned for these two in the coming chapters!**

 **Anyway, my exams are coming up. So updates will be a little infrequent once in a while. Next chapter will be out by end of October. Tell me how it was in your reviews.**


	21. Chapter 21

**Heroin and Vodka**

 **Authors note:** **What's up guys? I know I took a break. But here I am with another chapter, as promised. Now that Season 5 has progressed quite a bit, what do you have to say about it so far? Let me know in your reviews. Personally I was shocked by Nate's dad's death in the last episode. May he rest in peace. So what do you guys think? Was it a suicide? Or a murder? Anyways, enough of me rambling. Let's begin.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own How To Get Away With Murder. Its characters and plot are the sole property of Pete Nowalf and Shonda Rhimes.**

* * *

 **Chapter 21**

 _Begin Flashback_

 _Annalise was walking down the steps of Middleton High when she suddenly heard peals of delighted laughter. Looking up, she spotted Wes in the distance playing football with a girl. She assumed the girl was Meggy, Wes's new girlfriend._

" _You aren't going to let me get it all?" the girl asked laughingly as she attempted to grab the ball from Wes, who swerved it out of the way._

" _No." Wes replied. "You have to get it yourself. I'm not going to make it easy for you."_

 _Annalise's mind flashed back to her meeting with Wes when he had been 11. He had been in a similar situation—playing soccer with his friends._

 _A small smile crept onto her face._

 _As she watched, the girl managed to get a hold of the ball and kicked it forward._

 _Wes spotted Annalise._

" _Hey. Professor Keating." Wes asked, walking up to her. Annalise turned to face him._

" _I-uh…got that internship." he replied._

 _Annalise gave him a puzzled look._

" _What internship?" she asked._

" _To work with undocumented immigrants?" Wes replied._

" _Oh right! You got it." she replied with a soft smile. "That's good." She looked at Meggie's direction._

" _I take it that's Meggie?" she asked him._

" _Oh." said Wes, turning towards her. "Yeah." Noticing Annalise's continued stare, he asked "What?"_

" _She looks like she wants an introduction." Annalise informed him._

" _Oh. Umm…that would be weird right?" Wes asked, with a shrug._

" _Oh. Totally." Annalise replied. "Just tell her I have a meeting."_

 _Wes nodded and turned to walk back._

" _Hey." Annalise called after him. Wes turned back._

" _Congratulations on that internship." she replied, with a smile._

" _Thanks." Wes replied, kicking the ball back towards Meggie._

 _End Flashback_

"Keating. Keating!" a voice shouted, drawing her attention and breaking her memories. She looked around, startled.

She had dozed off due to the heat. As she got up, she spotted the bars of the dingy cell. The prison guard was just opening the gate.

She nodded towards Annalise.

"You're getting out of here." she replied.

"I'm being released?" she asked, with a faint glimmer of hope in her voice.

"No." the guard replied. Annalise sighed. "We're transferring you to county till your bail hearing. Up and at 'em."

Annalise got up and followed the guard outside.

* * *

"Everyone's waiting outside. They want to know how you are. But the doctors would only let me in." Bonnie replied.

It was next morning at the hospital. Laurel was lying on the bed. Apparently, a near death situation could be exhausting, especially considering the burns she had received in the fire, which to her luck, were only minor.

Laurel was silent.

"I told them I was your lawyer." Bonnie informed her.

She remained silent.

Bonnie sighed, seeing as nothing seemed to be eliciting a response from Laurel.

"Wes died before the fire." Bonnie replied.

Laurel finally looked up at her.

"The M.E told me. Did you see anything before the explosion?" Bonnie asked, half-afraid to know the answer.

"Mm.." Laurel mumbled.

"I know you're in pain. But the detectives will be here soon."

"Good." Laurel replied. "I want to tell them who did it." She paused. "Frank."

"No." Bonnie replied.

"Where is he then?" Laurel demanded. "I want to ask him to his face."

"You know he would never hurt any of us." Bonnie replied, trying to calm her down.

Laurel raised her head a few inches from her pillow. Her eyes locked with Bonnie's.

"Of course he would." she replied, hatred in her voice. She laid back down. "Leave."

"If you tell the police, it will hurt all of us." Bonnie replied, quietly.

"Leave. Or I'll tell them everything." Laurel replied, turning away from her.

* * *

As Bonnie walked outside, Isaac immediately spotted her. He got up from his seat and approached her.

He had followed Bonnie back to the hospital the moment he had seen Laurel being carried out of the burning wreck that was Annalise's house.

First Wes Gibbins had died.

Then Annalise was arrested.

Now this.

A lot had happened in the past few hours. All the events seemed to have rushed past him in quick succession, so much so that she had been unable to process each of them individually.

"How is she?" he asked,

Bonnie looked grim. Isaac noted her expression.

"Bonnie?" he asked.

Bonnie looked up at him.

"She's fine. For now."

Isaac nodded.

"The doctor told me she had only suffered a few minor first degree burns. So looks like she'll get out of this okay." He replied, before pausing. "But what about the…pregnancy?" he asked.

Bonnie was about to answer when the rest of the students walked up to her.

"How is she?" Micheala asked.

"Good." Bonnie replied.

"Can we see her?" Oliver asked.

Bonnie shook her head.

"The doctor said she's too weak." she replied.

"Does she remember anything?" Asher asked.

"No. She's in shock." Bonnie replied.

Micheala pulled out her phone. "I'll call Meggie. See if she can get us in."

"Don't." Bonnie replied.

"She needs to be with people right now." Micheala replied.

"She needs sleep?" Bonnie informed her.

"Or you just don't want us to see her?" Connor replied, speaking up. "You're scared we might find out what actually happened."

"No one knows what happened." Bonnie replied.

Connor shrugged.

"The police seemed pretty confident this was Annalise."

Before she could reply, Isaac beat her to it.

"Someone's framing her." he replied.

Connor raised his eyebrows.

"And how do you know anything about it? You've only known her for a couple of months."

"So have you." Isaac shot back.

Startled, Connor shouted back. "Yes! But you don't know what she's—"

But Bonnie cut him off immediately.

"Connor! Lower your voice." Bonnie replied sharply. "And this isn't the place to be discussing this. Go back home. All of you. I'll call you once I know everything."

She turned to leave but before she did, she turned to Isaac and took him to the side.

"I know I'm asking a lot here, but could you…stay here and look after them? Make sure Laurel gets some rest?" she asked in a low voice.

"Of course Bonnie. I'll do my best." Isaac replied softly.

"What are you whispering over there, you two?" Connor demanded, suspicious.

Bonnie rolled her eyes.

"I'll be back in the evening to check on them." Saying this, she departed.

* * *

It was 7 o' clock in the evening. The kids had gone back home for the afternoon. Isaac had meanwhile had lunch in the hospital cafeteria and was just about to call Bonnie when he spotted Micheala, Asher and Connor entering Laurel's cabin. He decided to wait outside so that the others could have some privacy.

* * *

"Hi." Micheala said hesitantly upon entering the cabin.

Laurel began to sob quietly into her pillow upon spotting them. The others looked at each other in discomfort. Micheala came down and sat beside her.

"Did you call your parents?" Micheala asked softly.

Laurel shook her head.

"Do you want me to call them?" Micheala continued.

"They'll just make everything worse." Laurel replied with disgust.

"BonBon said the police will be stopping by." Asher replied quietly.

"Yeah. They were here." Laurel replied, sitting up." They wanted me to tell them it was Annalise."

"Did you?" Micheala questioned.

"No." Laurel replied.

It was silent for a few moments before Connor broke the silence.

"Why not?" he asked.

Everyone turned to face him.

"Annalise wouldn't hurt Wes." Laurel replied.

"She would if he was going to turn her in." Connor replied. "She probably had Frank do it.e just protecting Frank cuz the baby's his, right?"

"Shut your mouth right now." Micheala replied, with a glare.

"Annalise wouldn't do this." Asher replied, shaking his head.

"Then why did she have Oliver delete everything from her phone?" Connor demanded.

"What're you talking about?" Micheala asked.

"She told him to clear her phone before he knew that Wes was dead." Connor replied." And now he might go to the police."

"You have to stop him."Micheala replied.

"No." Connor replied, with a shrug.

"Have you lost your mind?" Micheala asked.

"How do you know she didn't do this?" Connor shot back." Or that she's coming for one of us next?"

"It was the Mahoneys. Wes testified against them." Micheala replied, through clenched teeth.

"How do we know this wasn't you?" Asher quipped.

"What?" Connor asked.

"Where were you last night?" Asher asked, rounding on him.

"I was with Thomas. I told you." Connor replied.

"And he'll verify that? Because you don't seem that upset by this." Asher asked.

"You seriously think _I_ did this?" Connor asked, his voice rising.

"Wes is dead and you're not upset at all!" Asher replied angrily.

"Who's the person who started all of this?" Connor demanded."Its always been him. So yeah. Maybe a part of me is relieved that he's gone. He _did_ kill someone, so maybe this is just karma."

"Connor!" Michela shouted.

"The baby is Wes's." Laurel replied in a low voice.

Everyone turned to look atLAurel. All was quiet for a few moments before Connor broke the silence once again.

"Well, you should just get an abortion now cuz Waitlist isn't the type of father you'd want for a child."

Asher snapped. He rouned on him and punched him across the face. Connor fell to the floor.

"Asher!" Michela shouted.

* * *

Hearing the commotion inside, Isaac rushed in. He immediately spotted Asher on the floor beating up Connor.

" **What the hell is going on here?"** Isaac shouted, rushing to the two and dragging Asher off Connor. Asher left him reluctantly.

"What is wrong with you two?" Isaac demanded angrily as he rounded upon Connor. "You two are fighting like children! You are both adults. So act like one!"

"Why did you have to butt in?" Connor spat.

Isaac glared at him.

"I'd suggest you watch your mouth, Mr. Walsh." Isaac replied. "And what is wrong with you?" he rounded on Asher. "Your friend just died. Your professor is in jail for a crime she didn't commit and here I am babysitting a bunch of children!"

"You two are banging, right?" Connor spat.

Startled, Isaac paused.

"Figured." Connor replied, wiping some blood of his nose. "Therapists are her type. First Sam. Then you."

Micheala could see that Isaac was literally shaking with barely suppressed rage. She quickly got up and slapped Connor across the face. Connor leapt back startled.

"Dr. Roa is right. You _are_ a child." she replied with disgust.

Without another word, Connor strode across the room and left, slamming the door shut.

No sooner had he left did Bonnie enter the room. She spotted all of them standing around Laurel's bed.

"What happened?" she asked.

Micheala sighed.

"Connor was acting like a jerk." she replied.

But Isaac spotted the worried expression on Bonnie's face. Bonnie looked up and met his gaze. She then turned to face them all.

"Frank confessed a few hours ago." she replied.

"What?" Micheala asked, startled. "I mean did he—"

"I don't have all the details yet." Bonnie replied, cutting her off. "But I guess she's doing all this for Annalise." She turned to Isaac. " Could I speak with you? In private?"

Isaac left the room with her.

"What is it, Bonnie?" he asked.

Bonnie sighed.

"The bail hearing's tomorrow. Denver pushed it up." she replied.

Isaac's eyes widened.

"But we don't know who the culprit is yet, do we?" he asked.

Bonnie shook her head slowly. "Frank may have confessed. But I don't think Denver will buy it for even a second. He's out to get Annalise."

It was then that Isaac spotted the look of determination in her eyes.

"Bonnie?" he asked.

"I have a plan."

* * *

It was 11 o' clock in the next morning. Micheala, Asher and Connor along with Oliver had taken their seats in the courtroom and were awaiting the arrival of Annalise. Soon the guards arrived with her in handcuffs. They unlocked her handcuffs and Annalise took her seat in the Defense Cubicle, beside Bonnie. On the other side was the Prosecution occupied by DA Denver and ADA Atwood.

Bonnie clasped Annalise's hands, reassuring her.

The judge walked in.

"All rise!" the guard declared.

Everyone rose in their seats. The judge took his seat and began the proceedings. Soon, it was the Defense's turn to speak. Bonnie got up from her seat.

"The Defense would like to call to the stand Dr. Isaac Roa." Bonnie declared.

* * *

 **Author's note:** **There you go! I ended it on a cliffhanger purposely. The next chapter will be a really special one that I've been planning for months. Now I finally get to share it with you guys.**

 **Anyways, let me know in your reviews about your thoughts regarding Season 5. The mid-finale is coming up on the 15** **th** **. Can't wait for it. Who's in the snow? Who's Gabriele? What about Bonnie's baby? The questions are never ending.**


	22. Chapter 22

**Heroin and Vodka**

 **Author's note:** **Ok. I'm pushing out this chapter faster than I thought cuz I had been planning it for months on end and now is the time I execute it. I hope I will be able to satisfy you guys. Anyways, without further ado let's begin.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own How To Get Away With Murder. Its characters and plot are the sole property of Pete Nowalk and Shonda Rhimes.**

* * *

 **Chapter 22**

As Bonnie declared Isaac's name, Annaslise's eyes widened. She quickly pulled Bonnie down.

"Why did you ask him? He's got nothing to do with any of this." she whispered in a low, harsh voice.

Bonnie smiled softly.

"Don't worry. We've got this. We're going to get you out, Annalise." she replied softly, before turning to face the court once again.

Annalise let go of her hand and sat back down. She prayed that Bonnie knew what she was doing. She was a bit resentful at Isaac as well. He had purposefully disregarded his words and gone ahead with whatever insane plan Bonnie had concocted overnight.

As she watched Isaac step forward and take the stand, she gulped.

Something in her gut told her that things were going to go horribly wrong. She had been in the courtroom for 25 years. She could always judge the palpable atmosphere and tell when things would go in her favour.

In this case, something told her that things would pretty much go south from here.

Isaac walked up to the stand and took his seat. He placed his hand on the Bible and the guard uttered the Oath of Trut.

"Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?" he asked.

"I do." Isaac replied.

After that, Bonnie approached Isaac.

"Dr. Roa." she asked. "Tell me. What is your speciality?"

Isaac cleared his throat.

"I'm a doctor of psychology and a licensed drug and alcohol counselor."

Bonnie nodded.

"And it is in this capacity," here she indicated Annalise, "that you've been treating my client here?"

"Yes." Isaac replied, his gaze briefly resting on Annalise. " She was referred to me through the Bar Association's disciplinary board."

"And how long have you been treating Ms. Keating?" Bonnie asked, continuing the line of questioning.

"I began treating her from March of this year. So it has been approximately eight months."

Bonnie nodded.

"That's quite a time period, Dr. Roa." she replied. "So, in your words, would you say you know Ms. Keating well?"

Isaac's mind briefly flashed back to the night Annalise has lost her sobriety. He remembered as she had kissed him when he had attempted to put her to bed.

He quickly shook his head to clear it.

"I'm sorry. Could you repeat the question?" he replied, a little flustered.

"Of course." Bonnie replied. "Would you say you know Ms. Keating well?"

"Yes. I daresay I do." he replied.

"Alright Dr. Roa." Bonnie replied. "Could you please inform the court of your whereabouts on the night of November 6th?"

Isaac nodded.

"I was at home. Which also serves as my clinic. I had just finished seeing my last patient and was about to turn in for the night."

Bonnie nodded, before pausing. She took a deep breath and continued.

"And where you alone on that night?" she asked.

Isaac shook his head.

"No." he replied. "Shortly thereafter, Ms. Keating showed up at my place."

Bonnie raised an eyebrow.

"Ms. Keating?" she asked. "But wasn't she at her house on that night?"

"No." Isaac replied. "She came over to my place, a little shaken. I asked her what was wrong. She was about to answer me when she received a call on her phone and rushed back to her home. She asked for a ride with my car. I offered her one."

Bonnie nodded. She then turned to the judge.

"Your Honour, I find it highly negligent that despite my client having a solid alibi on the night of Wes Gibbon's death, she was charged with arson and first degree murder. I find _that_ highly implausible and only probable if Ms. Keating is capable of being at two places at the same time."

The judge nodded before replying.

"The court duly takes the evidence into account."

Bonnie nodded.

"No further questions, Your Honour." she replied, before turning to Denver. "Your witness."

Denver nodded and grabbed a file off his desk and walked up to the stand.

As Isaac watched him approach the stand, his mind flashed back to meeting the very man a few minutes before the trial proceedings.

 _Begin Flashback_

 _Isaac was about to walk into the courtroom, when he heard his name being uttered. He turned around and came face to face with none other than Todd Denver._

" _Good morning, Dr. Roa." Denver replied with a smirk. "I never expected to be seeing you this morning." He turned his attention to a sheet of paper he had been holding. "Looks like you are the Defense's first witness."_

 _Isaac nodded, not liking the smirk on his face._

" _What's wrong?" he asked, spotting the look on Isaac's face. "Are you not confident in your testimony?"_

 _Isaac glared at him._

" _I don't know what you are planning here but Annalise is innocent. She is being framed."_

" _Is that so?" Denver asked, raising an eyebrow. "Well. We'll just have to see about that." he replied, before walking into the court room._

 _End Flashback_

"Dr. Roa." Denver's voice was heard, breaking him out of his thoughts. "What is it that you do?"

"Objection." Bonnie called out. " Asked and answered."

"Sustained." the judge replied.

Denver nodded.

"Sorry then. I'll cut right to the chase." He turned to face him once again. "Dr. Roa. Your career as an addiction counselor started as a result of your _own_ drug addiction in the past, correct?"

"Objection." Bonnie called out. "Inflammatory."

"Goes to his credibility, Your Honour." Denver replied, facing the judge.

The judge nodded.

"Overruled." She turned to Isaac. "You may answer."

"Yes, Your Honour." He turned to face Denver. "I am a recovering heroin addict, yes. I find that its one of the things that best helps me to empathize with the struggles that my patients suffer."

"Interesting." Denver replied. "Is it also true that you were investigated as a person of interest in the death of your daughter, Stella?"

"Objection." Bonnie replied, standing up. "Dr. Roa's personal life should not be taken into account here."

"If we're supposed to trust Dr. Roa's opinion about the accused's whereabouts on the night of the murder of Wes Gibbons, certainly his actions regarding his own daughter speak to his credibility."

"Overruled." the judge replied. "I'll allow it."

"I was interviewed briefly. The police informed me that it was routine, and they eventually determined that she, uh…committed suicide."

"How did she commit suicide?" Denver followed up.

Isaac's mind briefly flashed back to Stella's dead body, cold and still, lying in the bathroom. He gulped painfully.

"Pills." Isaac replied immediately.

"What kind?" Denver asked.

"Oxycodone." Isaac replied.

"Which is an opioid., like heroin. Is that a coincidence?" Denver asked, skeptically.

Isaac was silent.

"Objection." Bonnie called out. "Calls for speculation."

"Let me offer proof." Denver replied, walking back to his seat and handing a file over to Bonnie. Perplexed, Bonnie opened it and began to peruse it.

"During the vetting of Dr. Roa," Denver continued. "our investigators uncovered that Stella Roa had _no_ history of drug abuse."

"She had a _history_ of mental health issues." Isaac replied.

"You claimed that you found her unconscious when she died, but the security system shows that you entered the house fifteen minutes before you called 911. Now what elapsed during this time? "

"Your Honour." Bonnie called out. "This case has been closed for several years."

"Were you staging your daughter's suicide?" Denver continued, paying no attention whatsoever to Bonnie.

"Any evidence from opposing counsel hasn't been verified yet, Your Honour." Bonnie replied, standing up.

"Not true, Your Honour." Denver replied." Due to this new evidence, the D.A.'s office is in fact reopening Stella's case and investigating Dr. Roa for murder. I am personally undertaking this case and overseeing it as we speak."

"Sanction Mr. Denver immediately." Bonnie called out.

"Mr. Denver, not another word." the judge called out.

"Why kill her?" Denver continued, ignoring the judge's orders. "Were you molesting her? Were you afraid she would tell her mother?" he asked snidely.

Isaac remained silent, confident that if he spoke another word, he would break.

"Your Honour." Bonnie protested.

"Mr. Denver!" The judge called out. "One more word and I hold you in contempt."

"Apologies, Your Honour." Denver replied.

Bonnie sighed in relief.

"But I beseech the court to strike Dr. Roa's testimony from the record as unreliable, due to his status as a suspect in an active homicide investigation." Denver continued. Satisfied, he walked back to his seat and reoccupied it.

* * *

"How is he?" Annalise asked Bonnie as soon as she returned.

Bonnie sighed.

"I don't know, Annalise. I couldn't catch him. And his car isn't in the parking lot. I guess…he left."

Annalise paused.

"Is it true?" Annalise asked Bonnie shortly. The court was at recess and would be back soon to declare its verdict. "Are they investigating him?"

"You heard Denver." Bonnie replied. "He's personally overseeing the case."

Annalsie inhaled deeply.

"Of course." she replied. "And I bet he's ordered his cahoots to make it look as real as possible."

"Unless it is real." Bonnie replied.

"They're framing him." Annalise replied softly. "Just like they framed me."

Bonnie shook her head.

"I'm just saying that the evidence they have on him _looks_ real."

Annalise sighed.

"I'm the devil." she replied. "I dragged him into this mess."

"You didn't cause this. _I_ did." Bonnie replied. " _I_ put him on the stand."

"But if I had never gone to his place that night, he wouldn't have felt the need to—"

"Stop alright." Bonnie replied, cutting her off. "You cannot afford to make this about yourself right now. You've got enough on your plate without worrying about him as well."

Annalise paused. Despite the silence that now pervaded them, her mind kept flashing back to the pained look on Isaac's face as Denver had questioned him relentlessly.

* * *

"The court has arrived at a decision." the judge declared. "While under normal circumstances, an alibi is sufficient to secure bail, but on circumstances such as these and the new evidence that we've come across during the cross' examination of Dr. Roa, I'm afraid I have no other option other than to strike his testimony from the records. As such" she glanced at Annalise "bail is denied to Ms. Keating on grounds of no available alibi."

The judge banged his gavel and concluded the hearing.

* * *

 **Author's note:** **There you go. Things are not looking up. For either Annalise or Isaac. I had to rewatch quite a few scenes from Season 3 to write this chapter. Anyways, don't panic. Things will get better from the next chapter. For** _ **both**_ **of them. Besides, what do you guys think of Season 5 so far? Annalise has fallen off the wagon again. I was very upset to see that. On the other hand, I am glad she's back at C &G. **

**Anyways, the next chapter won't be out till the end of November as I have exams coming up in December and need to prepare. In the meantime, read and review.**


	23. Chapter 23

**Heroin and Vodka**

 **Author's note:** **Hey guys. I decided to push out this chapter earlier than I thought cuz I have no idea when I'm going to get to upload again. I have two semesters worth of exams coming up this December. So, that's not something I'm looking forward to. Anyways, at least I have the mid-finale of Season 5 to look forward to this week. I really want to know who Gabriel is. It's a more intriguing mystery than who's in the snow. Also, I know the last chapter was kind of depressing. I know. I had a hard time writing it myself. But things will get better from this chapter onwards. Trust me. Anyways, read on.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own How To Get Away With Murder. Its plot and characters are the sole property of Pete Nowalk and Shonda Rhimes.**

* * *

 **Chapter 23**

It was the day of Wes's memorial. As Laurel and Micheala walked up to Asher, Connor and Oliver, she sighed. She had just been discharged from the hospital that day and definitely wasn't looking forward to doing this today. She just wanted to go back to her apartment and fall asleep on her bed.

As she came up to them, Asher stepped forward.

"Hey. How're you feeling? Ner-Nervous?" he asked.

Laurel smiled softly.

"Well, I wasn't. Until you just said that."

Asher looked away.

"Sorry. What I meant was you look great."

"No." Micheala replied. "She _will_ look great once she puts these on." She pulled out a pair of heels from her bag and helped Laurel put them on.

As they walked into the church, they spotted a group of people already seated.

"Who the hell are all these people?" Asher asked, perplexed.

"Tragedy whores." Connor muttered.

As she stepped up, Laurel spotted a large picture of Wes placed on the pulpit. A painful lump rose in her throat.

As the others took their respective seats, Laurel walked up to the pulpit and behind the podium.

"So…" she said, glancing at the picture. "…Wes. Where do I start? Umm…" She spotted Meggie, Wes's ex girlfriend seated in the front. She smiled encouragingly at her. Laurel took a deep breath before speaking.

"Wes was a really great guy. Like really just…good." Here she paused before moving on "And that says a lot because he didn't really have an easy . It was actually really… dark. Like his mom died when he was twelve. Suicide. And his father…" she trailed off, breaking into tears.

"Oh God." Asher whispered, mortified.

"…But we don't really have time to get into that." Laurel continued. "My point is that its awful, isn't it? That this is what happened to him. Like—"

It was then that she was interrupted by a soft crying in the front row. Looking forward, she spotted a blonde woman on the seat, sobbing.

Something inside Laurel snapped right then.

"Why are you crying?" Laurel demanded. "Did you even _know_ Wes?" She turned away from her and looked up at the rest of the gathered people. " Did _any_ of you?" When no one replied, Laurel nodded. "I take it that's a no. Law school isn't really about making friends, right? Yeah, I bet some of you are really happy that he's dead cuz that means your ranking goes up one. Great." she said, raising her hands in a thumbs up.

Micheala decided to intervene there and then.

"Ok. I'm going up there."

"Like there's not even a _body_ to bury." Laurel ranted. "You're all vultures glomming on to this tragedy like it's your own! Well, it's not your tragedy!" she replied, banging her fists on the podium.

"Stop." Micheala whispered, walking up beside her.

"It is Wes's and he deserves better than this funeral with you phony ass people!" she replied, breaking down completely. "So just go cry somewhere else!" she shouted. She shook off Micheala's arm from her shoulders and walked off the pulpit. She quickly took off her heels and walked out, slamming the door shut behind her.

* * *

Annalise was back at her cell.

This day could not have gotten worse.

A disastrous trial had ensued in which Bonnie failed to place the blame on Frank and evict Annalise's charges. A phone call later and she had learnt that Bonnie had failed to negotiate a release with the judge.

And what was worse—Annalise hadn't heard anything about Isaac. Bonnie had tried contacting him but each time her calls had gone to voicemail. She had even gone down to his place, but no one had answered the door. Annalise couldn't forget the pained look she had seen on the man's face as Denver had questioned him brutally. It was burned into her memory.

Things were most certainly not looking up for Annalise Keating.

She turned to face her cellmates. Claudia was lying on her bunk whereas Jasmine was busy playing solitaire with a deck of cards.

As she watched Claudia, an idea suddenly entered her mind. She got up from her bed. It was worth a shot. She was sick and tired of this cell where she couldn't pee without her cellmates checking her out, especially Claudia. Jasmine on the other hand, was far more accommodating in that regard.

She braced herself. She had nothing left to lose now.

"Your boys seem nice." Annalise started. "How old?"

Claudia shifted to face her.

"Louis is eight. Tommy twelve." she replied with a sigh.

Annalise nodded. She took a deep breath.

"Such a shame." she drawled out. "They already know what a disappointment you are."

"Excuse me?" Claudia asked, sitting up.

"They were probably celebrating the moment you were hauled off to jail cuz they didn't have to deal with your cracked up mess anymore."

Jasmine turned her attention from her cards to Annalise, her eyes widening slightly.

"Shut your mouth." Claudia replied, getting agitated.

"They don't love you." Annalise continued, ignoring her. "I saw it on their faces."

"Say another word about my boy." Claudia demanded, getting up from her bunk.

"Your boys wince when you hug them." Annalise stated, looking right into Claudia's eyes. She couldn't help but feel a vindictive sense of satisfaction. "Why?"

"Ok. Cool it." Jasmine replied, trying to shush Annalise. Claudia had meanwhile stepped closer to Annalise and was now inches away from her.

"Did you touch them?" Annalise demanded, ignoring Jasmine. "That's it, isn't it? You didn't just neglect them. You molested them. They were too afraid to say anything, sexually abused by their mother—"

Annalise was cut off by a punch, courtesy of Claudia. Her head slammed against the bars. She continued to punch Annalise into the bunk.

"Guards!. Guards." Jasmine shouted, trying to grab the attention of the prison guards.

* * *

Bonnie walked into the medical bay of the jail, her eyes widening as she spotted Annalise.

"Oh my God! Annalise what happened?" she asked, walking up to her.

She was banged and bruised pretty bad. Her face was swollen in multiple areas and both her eyes had bruises under them.

"Take a picture." Annalise replied.

"Annalise, what—" Bonnie replied, but Annalise cut her off.

"Take a picture." Annalise repeated.

Bonnie nodded hesitantly and fished her phone out of her bag.

* * *

The judge was forced to grant bail when Bonnie had threatened to release the pictures and declare a law suit against the D.A's office for civil rights violation.

As Annalise walked out of the holding unit of the prison, she spotted Bonnie awaiting her arrival. She smiled softly.

"Let me drive you back. You can crash at my place."

Annalise shook her head.

"You go. I have somewhere else to be."

Bonnie's eyes lit up as she nodded understandably.

* * *

As Annalise neared Rittenhouse Square, hear heart began to beat faster and faster. It had been two weeks since she had seen Isaac. She had to see him. She couldn't possibly put this off any longer.

As she walked down to his clinic and rapped on the door, she hoped and prayed that he was in and would answer.

After three minutes of waiting, and no reply, Annalise knocked again, this time louder than before. A few seconds later, she heard shuffling from inside. Soon, a silhouette appeared behind the door and Isaac opened it.

His eyes widened upon spotting Annalise.

"Annalise?" Isaac asked in shock. "What are you doing here? Did you get bail? And what happened to your face?"

Annalise couldn't help but smile softly upon seeing him. He seemed alright. Although, as Annalise gazed into his eyes, he thought they looked darker and more murky than usual.

"May I come in?" she asked.

"I-of course." Isaac replied immediately, stepping aside and inviting her in.

As they entered his clinic, Annalise sighed in satisfaction.

She had missed this place so much—the comforting lighting, the fan which continued to rotate at a slow rate, the inviting couches…and the man himself.

Isaac walked in and shut the door behind her.

"Mind filling me in on what I've missed?" he asked with a chuckle.

Annalise nodded and took a seat. Isaac occupied his usual couch. She was about to begin when her eyes fell on a random piece of paper lying on the center table between them. She dismissed it casually.

Annalise then filled Isaac in on everything that had happened in the past few days. When Annalise began to relate her plan on goading her cell mate into beating her up, so that she could be released, Isaac's eyes widened.

"Annalise, that was very reckless of you. You could have been seriously injured." he reprimanded.

Annalise rolled her eyes.

"It was the only way, Isaac. The judge wasn't very eager to offer me bail anyway." she replied.

Isaac nodded. A silence fell over them before Isaac broke it.

"So…do we know who's behind this?" he asked.

Annalise's eyes widened fractionally. She looked away from him.

"You don't believe I'm guilty?" she asked.

Isaac got up from his seat and walked over to the couch beside her. He sat down. Reaching out, he took his hands in his.

"Annalise look at me." Annalise turned hesitantly to face him. "I never doubted you to begin with." he replied softly. He pressed her hands slightly. "Besides, I know how much you cared for Wes? What could be your motive for all this? And as for burning down your house…" he paused. "…I can't think of a reason you'd do it. Unless you were broke and were looking for the insurance money." he broke off with a chuckle.

Annalise couldn't help but chuckle as well. As soon as she did, pain erupted from one of the bruises on her face. She winced.

Isaac's eyes widened.

"I'm so sorry, Annalise. I completely forgot to patch you up." he replied, getting up.

"Don't worry about it." Annalise replied, shaking off the pain. "I'll go and get it seen at the hospital later."

Isaac rolled his eyes.

"Don't be insane. I have the supplies right here. It'll only take a few minutes."

Annalise sighed before relenting and nodding. Isaac left the room to gather his supplies.

As Annalise was seated on her couch, her eyes washed over Isaac's familiar, comforting study. As she was gazing over the study, her eyes once again fell on the intrusive little paper. She picked it up. As soon as she did, something powdery slipped off the paper and fell on the desk.

Annalise's eyes widened in understanding.

As Isaac walked into the room with a bottle of Purell and bandages, Annalise rounded on him.

"Isaac, what is this?" she demanded.

Isaac's eyes zeroed in on the piece of paper clutched in her hand. His eyes widened before he averted his gaze from her.

Annalise awaited his reply.

After a few seconds of silence, Isaac spoke up.

"I'm high, Annalise." he replied softly.

Annalise's eyes widened. She had hoped she had been wrong in her suspicions. But Annalise could clearly see the truth in his eyes.

"Why, Isaac?" she asked softly. You've been good for so long." she replied softly, walking up to him. "How did this even happen?"

Isaac sighed and nodded. He put the supplies on the table and sat down on his couch. He took in a deep breath before he spoke.

"It happened on the day of your bail hearing…"

 _Begin Flashback_

 _Isaac slammed the door shut on his car. He was perspiring heavily and panting. Slowly, the panting evolved into hyperventilation._

 _His mind flashed back to Denver's words during the hearings._

 ** _Were you staging your daughter's suicide?_**

 _ **Why kill her?**_

 _ **Were you molesting her?**_

 _Isaac cried out in frustration and slammed his fists angrily against the steering wheel._

 _Panting, he loosened his tie and reached into his coat pocket and fished out his phone. He opened his 'Contacts' and was about to call Jacqueline when suddenly an idea seized him. It was a much better one than calling his ex-wife._

 _He revved up his car and left the parking lot._

* * *

 _It was evening and Isaac was walking down the pavement of Central Road, his mind on one particular destination. As he neared the food stall, he turned to face the lady at the counter._

" _Cheese burger and fries." he replied._

 _The woman nodded, taking down the order. "You want anything else with that?" she asked._

 _This was it. He was about to say no, when his mind flashed back to Denver's harsh words at the hearing. Steeling himself, he turned to face the lady again._

" _Could I…have that in wrapping foil?"_

* * *

 _As Isaac reached home, he entered his study and shut the door. He pulled out the parcel from the brown paper bag. Quickly, he dumped the cheese burger and fries into the trash bin next to his table and tipped the bag over._

 _A small plastic container fell onto the table. It contained what looked like pills._

 _Taking a paperweight, he began to ground the pills into powder. As he did so,his mind violently flashed back to that eventful night two years ago._

 _The night he had lost his daughter, Stella. And it had all been his fault. Tears streamed down his face._

 _After having completely grounded the pills, he put away the paperweight. He gazed down at the piece of paper._

 _Flashes of memories kept pouring into his head._

 _ **Stella's first birthday party, when Isaac had lifted the young girl into his lap and had watched as she blew the candles on her cake.**_

 _ **Stella was 17 and she had just graduated high school. Isaac watched her, proudly, as she gave the valedictorian speech.**_

…

 _ **Stella was lying on the bathroom floor, face up. Her eyes were wide open and still.**_

 _Unable to bear the pain anymore, he grabbed the paper and shoved its contents into his mouth._

 _End Flashback_

As Annalise watched Isaac, a horrible feeling of guilt crept up in her heart.

This was all her fault. If she had never arrived at his house on that night, none of this would have ever happened. She had forced her friend to take the stand for her.

And now, he was suffering.

She looked up at him as he finished talking.

"Heroin?" she asked him, softly.

Isaac shook his head.

"K-Pex." he replied. "Its an opioid." He raised his hand toward the door. "If you want to walk out of here right now, I'd understand."

Annalise closed her eyes before opening them.

"Why'd you do it?" she asked.

Isaac was silent for a few seconds as if searching for an answer.

"It was a mistake." he replied, shortly.

"A mistake that felt good." Annalise replied understandingly.

"Look at me! Look at how much I'm hating myself here." he shouted. He took a deep breath, before calming down. "I had been sober for twenty-three years and I threw all that away for nothing…" he trailed off.

Annalise watched as tears streamed down Isaac's face. He was crying softly.

Her heart wrenched in pain. Here was the man who had stood beside her all these months, guiding her and holding her hand. The mere thought of him always filled Annalise with strength. Isaac had refused to give up on her when she had fallen off the wagon last month. This time, it was her turn to stand by his side. She got up and walked over to the couch beside him. She sat down. Raising her hand and placing it on Isaac's back, she began to stroke it softly.

"It wasn't for nothing, Isaac." she replied, speaking softly. "We…all fall off the wagon occasionally. You can't let this get the better of you. You stood by my side when I lost my sobriety. Now.." She took a deep breath. "...It's my turn.

Isaac stopped crying and raised his head to look at her. His eyes shone with tears.

"Thank you." he replied softly. "For not judging me."

Annalise shook her head softly.

"Why would I judge you?" she asked, as she took his hand in hers. "You didn't judge _me_ when I lost my sobriety. It's my turn to look out for you. You'll need to go to AA meetings, NA, whatever."

Isaac nodded.

"If it makes you feel any better, I'll accompany you." Annalise replied softly.

"You don't have to do that. Besides, you have yourself to worry about and—" but Annalise cut him off immediately.

"You are my problem. Let me take care of you." she replied haughtily.

Isaac couldn't help but chuckle softly. Annalise smiled at that. She was glad she had managed to cheer him up.

As Annalise watched Isaac laugh, her heart lightened. The oppressive cloud which had been hovering over her head for the past few weeks ever since Wes's death, lightened and almost vanished.

Isaac stopped laughing. A silence hung over the two. But it was a comfortable one.

As Annalise watched Isaac, the man leant in closer and tapped his head against hers. Raising her head, she leant into his chest and kissed him.

As their lips touched, Annalise felt a rush of emotions she had never experienced before. She felt a rush of helplessness, a sinking yielding and a surging tide of warmth. She felt his arms wrap around her waist, pulling her closer. He bent back her head across his arm, and kissed her softly at first, and then with a swift gradation of intensity that made her cling to him as if he was the only solid thing in a dizzy, swaying world.

Is this what she had been wanting all along? Annalise brushed her lips against his experimentally. She was half-afraid he would stop her, but nothing happens. She felt a gush of warmth deep in her heart. He had been thinking about this too, had been thinking about her. And that's all that Annalise needed— someone who cared, someone who wanted her for who she was. And before a swimming giddiness overtook her, she knew that she was kissing him back.

* * *

 **Author's note:** **There you go! The moment you've all been waiting for. Annalise and Isaac's first (true) kiss. I tried to write it as well as possible. I hope I've been able to make it juicy. Thanks to all my readers who have read and supported me so far. The story's far from over. That being said, the next chapter won't be out till the end of November, as I've already pushed out 3 chapters already.**

 **On another note, this is also my longest chapter till date—3450 words so far.**

 **Hope you guys read and review. Also, leave your thoughts on the winter finale of Season 5 in your review. I would love to hear your inputs.**


	24. Chapter 24

**Heroin and Vodka**

 **Author's note:** **Hey guys. What's up? I know it's been some time since I last updated. But I did warn you guys that my semesters were coming up. So updates will be less frequent for the next few weeks. On the bright side, what did you all feel about the mid-finale? Frankly, I believe Miller was innocent the whole time. Man, did Nate beat him to a pulp! That was gruesome to watch. The Gabriel reveal was also shocking. That ending scene where his face changes into Sam's was creepy as hell. Anyways, that's enough of me blabbering. Let's get on with the chapter.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own How To Get Away With Murder. Its plot and characters are the sole property of Pete Nowalk and Shonda Rhimes.**

* * *

 **Chapter 24**

Annalise pulled up to the street and stopped. She shut the engine off. All was silent except for the sounds of her breathing.

She pulled down her windows and was immediately blasted by a draft of cold November air. It was almost December after all, and the weather was shifting.

She was half-afraid to look up and meet the object of her gaze. But she had been putting this off for quite some time and now she had to get this over with. Taking a deep breath, she looked up. The charred remains of the house stood in the pale morning light like a skeleton. It had been so alive, so vibrant. Inside, she had pictured a lifetime of love and security, a place with memories and warmth. Now, the wind whistled through and the steady rain fell right into the twisted plastic and metal that had been furniture and electronics. The last time she had seen it, it had been an inferno—black smoke billowed into the heated air, sending its distinctive aroma over the neighborhood. Orange flames blew out of the windows and sent horizontal jets of flame out, ten feet or more.

As she watched the burnt ramparts from the distance, her mind flashed back to the beginning of her life with Sam, back in 2000…

 _Begin Flashback_

 _They were both lying in bed. Annalise was cuddled up to Sam, both of them under the sheets._

" _Everyone is going to hate us." Sam replied, with a smile. "Two Professor Keatings on the same campus. A new power couple…" he trailed off._

 _Annalise chuckled._

" _They're only hiring me as an assistant professor."_

" _Well, for now." Sam replied. "You'll get tenure in record time. Maybe before me."_

 _Annalise laughed at that._

" _Like that was ever a question." she replied mockingly._

" _Oh. Someone's getting cocky pretty fast." Sam replied, with a chuckle._

" _Yeah. But you love that about me." Annalise replied._

 _They both leant into the other and their lips touched._

 _End Flashback_

Annalise's hands trembled over the steering wheel as tears ran down her eyes. She began to sob quietly.

But no sooner had she begun to cry, did a pair of warm hands enfold her and pull her in. She looked up at the person. It was Isaac.

He had insisted on coming with her, refusing to accept any reasoning, despite it being well into the night. He had refused to let her do this alone.

Now he was here. Holding her—a sobbing mess as she watched her life fall apart in front of her eyes.

"Annalise." his voice rumbled. "Look at me."

Annalise was hesitant before she looked up. Her gaze met his. They were still a bit murky due to the effects of the opioid he had taken earlier that evening. But despite their murkiness, there was a certain warmth to them that Annalise had never noticed till now.

"If this is too much, we can do it another time." he tried, stroking her head softly. Annalise leant into his touch. She resumed sobbing into his chest.

"I-I'm a mess." she stuttered. "My husband's dead. One of my students is dead. The D.A's office is trying me for his murder. And arson. And then you." Here, she paused. "The D.A's office is even investigating you. If only—"

But Isaac cut her off.

"We'll deal with it all, Annalise. Trust me. One step at a time." he replied, his voice soothing and calm. "We'll find out who really killed Wes. I promise." Saying this, Annalise buried her head in his chest. Isaac held her in his arms and continued to stroke her head softly.

Isaac steeled himself. He would have to be strong—for both of them. But Isaac promised himself, that he would be there for her, no matter what.

* * *

"Thank you all for coming." Annalise replied, addressing the Keating 4 who had gathered there at Bonnie's house. It was 9 AM in the morning and Annalise had just returned from Isaac's. She had spent the night there.

The awkward conversation that the two had shared soon after was still fresh in her mind. It brought a small smile to her face.

 _Begin Flashback_

 _As their lips parted, Annalise immediately looked down and began to blush—which was awkward as hell, seeing as she never blushed after kissing. She had never felt anything like this in her entire life. Not even after kissing Eve for the first time had she felt such a tingly warmth in her chest. Even though that had been her first true kiss—and that too at a time when she herself had been unsure of her sexuality._

 _She heard a soft chuckle which brought her out of her musings. Looking up, she spotted Isaac with a wide smile on his face._

" _Is this your first?" Isaac asked, chuckling softly._

 _The redness in her cheeks intensified further upon that comment._

" _No!" she replied, defiantly. But she didn't elaborate further._

" _So…" Isaac replied, deciding to tease her further. "Who was your first?" he asked with genuine interest._

 _Annalise looked away, blushing furiously. This wasn't atopic she was exactly comfortable relating to anyone. She had never told anyone of her first dalliance with Eve. Not even Sam._

 _Isaac spotted the rather uncomfortable look on her face and immediately backtracked._

" _I mean, if you're OK with it?" he added hesitantly. The last thing he wanted was to screw this up completely._

" _It was Eve." Annalise blurted out immediately. "It was during our second year at law school. It was at night and I was half-drunk off my ass after we had both spent hours slogging it in the library."_

 _Isaac nodded with interest._

" _So…" she asked, rounding on him immediately. "Care to tell me your's? I mean it's only fair. I did tell you mine."_

" _That's true." Isaac replied with a nod. "I've only ever kissed one woman before in my life." Here, he paused. "I thought she was the one I was meant to be with. It was Jacqueline." he added, spotting Annalise's confused look._

" _So…you've ever been only with one woman?" Annalise asked, perplexed._

" _What can I say?" Isaac replied, softly. "I'm very old fashioned that way. Sorry if that's disappointing." he replied, with a chuckle._

" _Oh no." Annalise replied, shaking her head softly. "Old- fashioned is what I prefer anyway after what I've been through."_

 _Both of them chuckled at that. A silence followed soon after. But it was a comfortable silence that always pervaded the two of them._

 _Isaac coughed, breaking the silence._

" _So…" he replied, rubbing the back of his neck in embarrassment. "What does this mean? I know I'm your therapist and I can understand if this is dredging up any uncomfortable memories. We can keep this professional if you want to. All I want to say is—"_

 _But he was cut off by Annalise pressing her lips against his. Isaac silenced himself, kissing him back gently._

 _Annalise didn't know either. This was probably the most complex situation that she had ever been in. Probably even more complex than what it had been with Eve. She had figured her previous elopement with Sam would have provided her the requisite experience needed to deal with this._

 _But she found none. And that was what excited her. It was unfamiliar territory that she was walking into. But it was the good kind of unfamiliar. The kind that made her heart beat faster and made her hands wrap around the man passionately._

 _They would figure it out. But right now, as things were, she couldn't care less where they were. What mattered was that he was there with her._

 _End Flashback_

"So, what exactly _are_ we doing here?" Connor asked, bringing Annalise back into the present.

Annalise sighed before continuing.

"I know you didn't have to come here. You could all have…just run off to Brazil already."

"Is that really an option?" Connor replied, sarcastically.

Annalise was quiet for a few moments before she spoke up.

"I failed. I promised to protect you all, and I didn't. I tried but…the D.A tried to offer Wes immunity. It would make sense if they come to you next."

"AK. Come on." Asher spoke up. "You know we all have your back."

"We don't know that." Annalise replied, shaking her head. "The D.A really wants to take me down for this. And I would imagine that anything that they offered would be hard to turn down."

"Oh my God." Laurel replied, with a sigh. "I'm sorry. Did you really call us here to beg us not to tattle on you?"

"No." Annalise replied. " And I'm sorry if it's coming off that way."

"Yeah. Yeah it is." Laurel replied offhandedly.

"Laurel. Lease, just sit down." Micheala offered.

"Why aren't we talking about going after the people who killed Wes?" Laurel asked, frustrated.

"We don't _know_ who killed him." Bonnie replied, placatingly.

"He testified against Charles Mahoney a week before he died." Laurel replied.

"Its not that simple." Annalise replied.

"It is. And we should do something about it." Laurel replied, advancing on her.

"These people are dangerous." Annalise replied, attempting to calm her down.

"So what? We just sit here and do nothing and act all weak and victim-y?" Laurel shot back.

"No one's acting like a victim." Annalise replied.

"You are." Laurel replied. "Have you said your piece? Can I go?" she asked. Saying so, she strode forward, pulling the door open and slamming it shut behind her.

Annalise sighed. Things were just spiraling downwards and downwards.

* * *

Annalise was back at Isaac's. They were both attempting to brainstorming ideas as to how to get her out of this mess.

"How about a mistrial?" Isaac suggested. "You could complain that the D.A is acting on bias. That would suffice in my opinion. Not to mention the juror misconduct."

Annalise shook her head.

"While under deliberating circumstances, a mistrial would have been the perfect option, but I don't think the judge will go for it even once. The D.A's out for my blood here. And they're all in on it together."

Isaac nodded with a sigh.

Suddenly, he leapt off his seat, an excited twinkle in his eye.

"Here's an idea. What about a grand-jury investigation into the D.A's office. You have more than enough evidence to go for it. What with Atwood's prosecutorial misconduct and her holding you without any basis." he replied.

A small smile formed on Annalise's face.

"Beats anything I've got." she replied, walking over to Isaac's desk and opening up his laptop.

She had just about had enough of sitting back and doing nothing. Now it was time to take matters into her own hands.

" _Attention, Ingrid Peters, Esquire."_ She typed hurriedly. _"Pennsylvania Office of the Deputy Attorney General. My name is Annalise Keating and this is a demand letter seeking a grand-jury investigation into a conspiracy launched against me by the Philadelphia District Attorney's office._ _This letter serves as a formal complaint in petition for investigation into prosecutorial misconduct committed by A.D.A Renee Atwood. The following is a list of her unlawful actions—_

 _on personal bias and false information, Ms. Atwood arrested and held me without probable cause just by the confession by a career criminal, Frank Delfino._

 _. Atwood and her detectives then tried to manipulate and scare me into confessing to a murder I did not commit._

 _her complete lack of evidence on the matter at hand, Ms. Atwood continued to deny my rights by questioning me without my attorney present in violation of Mirada v. Arizona._

 _4 Most importantly, A.D.A Atwood orchestrated the disappearance of the victim's body thereby tampering with evidence and obstructing a fair and impartial trial._

"What do you think?" Annalise asked Isaac, who was reading the draft over her shoulders.

Isaac nodded grimly.

"It's war." he replied.

* * *

 **Author's note:** **There you go. Lots of cute Annalise-Isaac moments in there to keep you guys satisfied. The story will diverge slightly from canon at this point as I have something special planned for Isaac in Season 4. Unfortunately, this will be the last chapter that I can push out in the weeks to come as my exams are literally knocking at the door! Next chapter will be out by mid-December.**

 **Anyways, read and review guys. And leave your thoughts about the mid-fianle. Would love to know your thoughts and opinions.**


	25. Chapter 25

**Heroin and Vodka**

 **Author's note:** **Hi guys. Finally, my exams are over. It was an arduous 2 weeks of preparation followed by a stressful week of the actual exams. Anyways, enough about that. My next exams aren't due till May. So,** _ **hopefully**_ **, I'll be able to push out quite a few chapters till then. I wanted to inform you guys that Season 3 will be coming to an end in a few chapters (3 at most). I will be taking a small break before I begin Season , and I wanted to thank you all for the continued support. So, I hope you enjoy.**

 **Disclaimer:** **I do not own How To Get Away With Murder. Its plot and characters are the sole property of Pete Nowalk and Shonda Rhimes.**

* * *

 **Chapter 25**

All in all, it hadn't been one of the best weeks of Annalise Keating's life.

Her request for a grand jury investigation had been shut down abruptly after she had leaked an article regarding the unlawful practices of the Philadelphia D.A's office online.

She had come to know from Nate that Wes's missing body had been cremated. That had come as a blow to Annalise who then had to inform it to an equally distraught Laurel.

To top it all off, Connor had foolishly visited Denver in order to take the fall for everyone. On the plus side, he had discovered a secret burner phone which tied Denver directly to Wes's death. On the down side though, they had no way to prove it.

She could still recall his outburst at her a couple days ago.

 _Flashback_

 _Everyone was gathered at Bonnie's place. They were going over their plan of action. Even Isaac was there as Annalise still had to figure out how to get Denver to stop his investigation into him._

 _Isaac was merely standing watching the proceedings as a bystander._

 _He sighed and turned to Annalise._

" _We can deal with my problem later, Annalise. Right now you need to get the whole Wes situation sorted."_

 _Annalise rolled her eyes._

 _She couldn't for the life of herself understand how Isaac could be so calm in situations such as this. The D.A was probably digging deep into Isaac's background right now, searching for any evidence that might incriminate him._

 _Annalise was about to tell him to shut up and let her do her job when she heard a disturbance._

" _Tell them. They'll believe you." Micheala whispered to Connor, who was standing beside her._

" _Shut up." Connor whispered back._

" _What's going on?" Bonnie asked, overhearing the two. She turned to Micheala. "Micheala?"_

" _I'm just not feeling very well."_

" _What happened?" Asher asked, approaching Micheala and Connor. "Did you say something to her?" Asher asked, addressing Connor. "Because you can be an ass to me all you want but not to my lady!"_

" _Asher, I think you're probably reading into things." Oliver replied, standing up._

" _He's not." Isaac spoke up. He had been observing the two, Connor in particular. There was something off about him. His instincts as a therapist were telling him that he was hiding something. It was something he was very deft at catching as frequently dealt with pathological liars in his field._

" _Micheala, is there something you'd like to tell us?" he asked, softly so as to not intimidate the girl._

 _Micheala faced away from Isaac and turned her eyes to Connor._

" _Just tell them." she whispered._

" _Tell us what?" Annalise asked, impatiently._

" _I think we should just give Connor some space." Oliver replied._

" _Open your mouth." Annalise replied._

" _Connor might have killed Wes." Micheala blurted out hurriedly._

 _A stunned silence followed which was shortly broken by Connor._

" _I was at your house that night. I just came by to ask you about the investigation regarding Charles Mahoney. The door….was open."_

 _He paused. He was sweating profusely and his eyes were bloodshot._

" _I went into basement. That's where I found him. There… was a head wound on his forehead. He was bleeding. So I thought he was still alive."_

" _Did you check for a pulse?" Isaac asked quietly._

" _H-He didn't have a pulse. Or perhaps he did. I just couldn't find one. His body was still warm so I started CPR. I tried to stop his bleeding. But…maybe it was too late."_

" _Why didn't you call 911?" Laurel demanded furiously._

" _I didn't have my phone." Connor replied softly._

" _There was a phone in the house." Asher supplied._

" _You weren't there." Connor replied, his voice breaking. "You don't understand. I…I tried to save him."_

" _He wouldn't breathe so I kept doing the compressions. But then….there was like a big crack. A bone or rib or something—I-I don't know. Maybe that's what killed him. Maybe a bone punctured his lungs or something—"_

" _No. No. Connor. He was hurt before you got there. He was clearly bleeding." Oliver tried, in an attempt to calm him down._

" _Hey, do not baby him right now!" Laurel replied angrily._

" _Annalise, didn't Wes's autopsy state he died of smoke inhalation?" Isaac asked._

 _Annalise nodded._

" _The D.A's office must have had the results altered to suit their needs." she replied grimly._

" _He was just…dead." Connor sobbed, breaking down._

" _Yeah, cuz you left him there to die." Laurel shrieked._

" _There was gas. I smelt gas. Whoever killed him cut the gas line."_

" _You mean you cut the gas line!" Laurel shot back._

" _Laurel." Isaac replied in a warning tone._

" _I swear I didn't do this." Connor replied, almost begging._

" _How are we supposed to believe you right now?" Laurel asked rhetorically._

" _Look at him." Oliver pleaded. "Look how guilty he feels."_

" _Why are you just telling us this now?" Bonnie asked._

" _Because he was afraid of this. That you would think he did it when the truth is he was just at the wrong place at the wrong time."_

" _Yeah. Maybe that's just what he wants us to believe." Laurel replied offhandedly._

" _Will you stop attacking him? Please?" Oliver replied. "All of you have done terrible things. And you've asked me to believe you did it for the right reasons. Well, now you need to do the same thing for Connor."_

" _Yeah, he hated Wes." Laurel shot back._

" _I didn't." Connor replied quietly._

" _You blamed him for everything." Laurel shouted. She walked up to him until she was inches away from him. "You know what you need to do right now? You need to go and kill yourself. That's the one good thing you're going to do in your life. You're going to go and kill yourself, Connor!"_

" _That's_ _ **enough**_ _, Laurel." Isaac shouted forcefully._

 _Everyone turned to face him._

" _Don't you see the look on his face?" Isaac asked. "You don't need to tell him to kill himself because he's already considering it."_

 _Startled, Annalise turned to him._

" _What would you know?" Laurel replied._

" _I know." Isaac replied, quietly. "I know that look. I've seen it on my patients. I know because…that was the same look I had seen often in my daughter's eyes. It was the same look… I had…when I lost her."_

 _Everyone was quiet for a few moments after that. Even Laurel who had been furious a few moments ago, was at a loss for words._

 _Annalise turned to face Isaac._

" _You don't think Connor's really…" she trailed off._

" _Trust me on this, Annalise." Isaac replied grimly._

 _End Flashback_

Oh, and Connor had been MIA ever since. Annalise strongly suspected Denver to be the one behind it. But honestly, she couldn't just barge into the D.A's office and accuse the D.A of unlawful withholding. At least, not without evidence.

She sighed.

"We're here." A voice spoke up, breaking her out of her thoughts.

It was Isaac.

Annalise sighed.

Isaac spotted the look on her face. He raised his hand and gently placed it on her's.

Annalise looked at him.

Isaac cleared his throat.

"You don't have to do this, you know?" he replied, softly.

Annalise shook her head.

"I've been running my whole life. Its time I got this over with."

Isaac nodded.

"If that's what you want." he replied. "Now. Take a deep breath."

Annalise nodded shakily and took in a deep breath.

"Now let it out." Isaac replied calmly.

Annalise let out the breath slowly.

"I'll be here. If you need anything, just call me." he replied.

The corners of her mouth twitched into a small smile.

Things between her and her therapist had been….awkward to say the best. Ever since the two had shared that kiss a week ago, things between the two had heated up. The tension between the two was so thick, you could cut it with a knife.

Yet, Annalise had never met someone like Isaac. The man had desisted from bringing up their…relationship (for a lack of a better term) in the light of everything else that had been going on. And yet, she was immensely thankful for his presence.

The man was quite unlike Sam. At first, she had been hesitant to initiate a relationship with her therapist of all people. She was quite aware of Sam's misdeeds and the man had kept her in the dark in regards to his true self for years.

But something deep within her heart told her that Isaac wasn't the type of person who would come to know her deepest, darkest secrets and betray her trust. She didn't know what made her think so. Perhaps, it was the way he always looked at her when they were in private. His gentle eyes always held a soft, warm look. She had never seen that look in Sam's eyes. Or at least, even if she had, she couldn't recall it in the aftermath of the fiasco that was their marriage. Or perhaps it was the way he always held her in his arms whenever she doubted herself.

Or perhaps, it was the way he smiled. It wasn't the type of cocky, lecherous smile he had often seen on Sam's face. It was a smile which expressed genuine warmth and kindness. Something which told her that he wasn't doing it all to get into her pants.

Without warning, she leant in and touched her lips to his. Isaac was surprised at first, but he soon began to kiss her back gently.

As much as Annalise hated to, she broke the kiss.

She looked up at him.

"We'll talk about this later."

Isaac smiled softly and nodded.

With a nod, Annalise left the car.

* * *

 **Author's note:** **Ok. I know it was short. This chapter rounded of at exactly 1892 words. But I promise the next chapter will be longer. Plus we have the 'relationship talk' coming up next chapter. Its going to be quite juicy. Also, if you guys have noticed, I have retconed Wes's death slightly. The reason for that will be revealed later in Season 4. Don't worry. It may** _ **seem**_ **inconsequential and unimportant and nothing but Denver's no-good doings, but it will (in a way) be the main focus of Season 4. Anyways, read and review.**


	26. Chapter 26

**Heroin and Vodka**

 **Author's note:** **Happy New Year guys! Sorry for the delay. But I was out of town with my parents for a week and I just got back. I was taking a vacation from all things fanfiction-related. But now, I'm ready to begin this new year anew. So Season 3 is coming to an end soon and Season 4 will kick off mid to end-January, just in time for the second half of Season 5, scheduled to air on 17** **th** **January. What are your thoughts and opinions regarding the second half of Season 5? Do you think Bonnie and Nate will get away with what they've done? Or do you think Nate will turn himself in? Let me know in your reviews.**

 **Disclaimer:** **I do not own How To Get Away With Murder. Its plot and characters are the sole property of Pete Nowalk and Shonda Rhimes.**

* * *

 **Chapter 26**

Annalise had barely woken up when she learned of some troubling news from Bonnie. As it was, she had gone to sleep late at night, having stayed up trying to figure out a way to retrieve Connor and to get herself and the rest of the students out of this mess.

To put the final nail in the coffin, she had just learned some disturbing news regarding Isaac and the D.A's inquiry into Stella's case.

 _Flashback_

 _Annalise was fast asleep, tired out from the day's happenings. During the course of her conversation with Sylvia Mahoney, she had learnt that Wes was not actually Walace's son. Rather he was the son of Charles Mahoney. This fact was not well-received by Annalise who already doubted Sylvia's intentions to begin with._

 _She felt someone shaking her shoulders, breaking her slumber._

" _Annalise. Wake up."_

 _Annalise grumbled, opening her eyes and turning her head to face the person. It was Bonnie._

" _What is it, Bonnie?" Annalise asked._

 _Bonnie sighed._

" _I've got some news. Its regarding Isaac." Bonnie replied._

 _Upon hearing Isaac's name, Annalise straightened herself._

" _Good or bad?" she asked._

" _Good…I think." Bonnie replied, raising her left hand and depositing a while folder on her lap. Annalise opened the folder and flipped through a few images of Isaac's daughter, Stella._

" _There was bruising on her chest which shows that Isaac did CPR on her. That also explains the 15 minutes time lag before he called combined with her psych history, it seems pretty easy to convince Miller to close the investigation." Bonnie paused. "It just depends on whether Denver will let him."_

 _Annalise was flipping through each image until her eyes fell on the toxicology reports. Her eyes zoned in on the results._

 _Her eyes widened._

" _What is it?" Bonnie asked, noticing her silence._

 _Annalise looked up at her._

" _The drug she took…" she replied, trailing off._

 _Bonnie glanced down at the report._

 _ **Tested positive for Oxycodone (Street name: K-Pex)**_

 _End Flashback_

Annalise pulled up at Isaac's and strode up to the door before knocking on it. The door opened and Isaac appeared.

"Annalise?" he asked. "I wasn't expecting you at this time. What…is it?" he asked, observing the grim look on her face.

She sighed.

"Denver was telling the truth." she declared.

Isaac's eyes widened.

"About What?" he asked in shock.

"Did you give Stella those drugs?"

* * *

"Stella was living with us again." Isaac began. "She had…just dropped out of Ahmrest. I had gotten home to a home-cooked dinner. See if Stella wanted to see a movie."

Isaac paused, took a deep breath and continued on.

"There I saw it. On the floor. I thought I hid them well. But she must have known…something was up with me."

"You said you'd been sober for 23 years." Annalise replied.

Isaac looked up at her, his eyes shining with tears.

"I lied." he replied with a shrug. "She was still. Something within me already told me I was too 'd taken just about every pill in that bag. Was she trying to kill herself? I don't know. All I do know…is that she'd grown up her whole life hearing me talking about my struggle. How drugs almost killed me. To the point where my entire life was about…being sober!"

He paused. Annalise watched as tears rolled down his face.

"I knew the only thing worse than losing Stella was if Jacqueline were to find out—that it was _my_ fault. So I did what I could. I grabbed the bag and its contents and flushed them down the toilet."

"So you wrote the text." Annalise concluded.

Isaac nodded.

"Her mother still thinks those were her last words." Isaac replied.

He got up from his seat. Annalise's gaze followed him. He walked over to the wall adjacent to the table. Without warning, he smashed his head against the wall with brute force.

Annalise's eyes widened in shock.

"Isaac!" she screamed, rushing to him and pulling him off the wall just as he was about to smash his head in again. This was proving difficult as the man shook her hands off repeatedly.

"Let me go. Let me go! Just…just let me die." he replied. It was difficult for Annalise to restrain the man.

"Isaac. You can't." Annalise tried, attempting to make the man see reason. "Hurting yourself won't bring Stella back. She's dead."

As soon as she mentioned Stella's name, Isaac went limp and almost collapsed. But Annalise managed to catch him and pulled him up.

As Annalise pulled the shaking man off the wall, her eyes widened as she spotted the blot of blood against it. Her eyes flickered to his forehead.

Isaac was bleeding. And badly. His forehead was bleeding profusely as the blood ran down his face onto his lips.

She gently deposited him on the couch and rushed upstairs to get the medical supplies. As she climbed the stairs, her eyes kept drifting to him, making sure he wouldn't attempt to repeat his actions. Annalise quickly grabbed the medical kit which was in his room and rushed downstairs. She walked up to him and deposited the kit on the coffee tab le adjacent to the couch. She flipped it open and took a swab of cotton and applied some Purell against it.

She reached up and gently applied it to the wound. Isaac winced in pain.

She silently grabbed another swab and began to wipe the blood off his face. His entire face was a bloody mess. As Annalise gently brushed the blood away, she watched Isaac.

The man was crying silently. The tears streaming down his face mixed with the blood, making it all the more harder for Annalise to wipe all the blood off. Had he not been in such pain, the entire situation would have been morbidly humorous.

As she finally succeeded in brushing the blood of his face, she took some gauze and a pair of scissors and cut off a strip. She gently pressed it against his forehead and began to wrap it around his head. As she finished, she got up and put the kit away.

"Well, I would have made a damn good doctor." Annalise replied with a soft smile, as she admired her handiwork.

Isaac couldn't help but chuckle at that comment. His chuckle soon evolved into full blown laughter.

Annalise frowned at the sudden change in demeanor. The man had been sobbing in pain at the loss of his daughter and had just attempted to kill himself. And now all of a sudden, he was laughing as if nothing had happened.

"Isaac… are you high?" Annalise asked abruptly.

The laughter died away immediately, leaving behind a smirk on his face.

"How did you guess?" he asked.

Annalise felt a flash of anger and irritation at the man. No wonder he had acted out. He had been using.

"You're a liar." Annalise replied aggravated.

"H-Hey. I'm broken." he replied with a chuckle.

"We're all broken." Annalise shot back.

"This situation is just bringing everything about Stella back." Isaac replied.

"Stop making excuses. Own your mistake!" Annalise replied, her voice rising.

"There's so much I've been meaning to tell you…" Isaac began, trailing off.

"I'm not the one you should be talking to. Tell Jacqueline."

Isaac casually waved her off.

"Isaac. We're no good for each other."

" **Of course we're no good for each other!"** Isaac shouted, jumping up from the couch, anger in his eyes.

Startled, Annalise stepped back.

Isaac began to chuckle gain. But this time it wasn't the pleasant chuckle that Annalise had grown so fond of. There was something…deranged about it.

Isaac stopped chuckling, his eyes meeting Annalise's.

"You really think I would be in this position if it weren't for you?" he asked.

Annalise's eyes widened.

"What?" Annalise asked in shock. "You're blaming me?"

"I blame _**myself**_ for blurring the lines here. I blame myself for not telling you 'no' because that's what you need in your life. Someone to stand up to you and say 'Hey. Enough!'"

"Tell no?! Listen. I've lost my freedom. I've lost my husband. I've lost my baby. Everybody's told me 'no'. God has told me 'no'. I came to you because I wanted to get better!" Annalise replied.

"See? Here you are again, yelling at me like you're some victim." He looked straight into her eyes. "That's your narcissism talking. I diagnosed that after our first session. I can show you the notes. And somehow I doubted my own instincts. I saw all those warning signs and I knew better. And her I am now. I'm just **sucked into your life!** "

Annalise was silent as Isaac continued.

"Look at me. You want to know how long its been since I've gotten this low? Because I haven't felt this bad since Stella died. And here I am. I'm worse off than I was when I was a heroin addict! But this time its worse. This time I've actually got something to lose here. And I don't care about any of it."

He raised a finger and pointed it in Annalise's direction.

"And that's because of you." Isaac replied.

Something within Annalise snapped just then. This had gone on for _far_ too long.

"I didn't ruin you!" Annalise shot back. "You were that way before we met. Probably your whole life. And if there's _**anything**_ you've taught me, is **that I can never make anyone who they don't want to be!** So, you go ahead. You do your drugs or whatever!" She reached out and pulled her bag to herself, unzipping it. "But this is the last time I'm going to help you!"

"Help?" Isaac scoffed. "You've only hurt me!"

"Ok. You know what?" Annalise replied rhetorically. "Alright. We're going to keep it up." she pulled out her cell phone.

"What are you doing?" Isaac asked, spotting the phone in her hands. "Put down that phone." He replied, warningly. But it was already too late. Annalise had already dialed a number.

"Jacqueline this is me. Annalise—"

" **I said put down that phone!"** Isaac shouted, lunging towards her. Annalise narrowly dodged out of his way.

"Alright. I'm with Isaac and he's relapsed and he needs you." She was about to cut the call when all the hurtful things Isaac had told her just then, rushed back to her mind. "Ask him about Stella." She added, vindictively, before cutting the call.

She glanced up at Isaac.

"You need help." she shot at him.

"So do you." Isaac shot back gravely.

"Not from you!"Annalise replied, striding out of the door and slamming it shut behind her.

* * *

 **Author's note:** **Ok. I know I promised you guys a longer chapter aaaaaaand here go. This is my second longest chapter at 3120 words. Hope it was nice and up to tour expectations. Now that the major quarrel has happened, things are going to mellow down between the two. They are going to pick up in Season 4. So. One more chapter left to go for Season 3. How was it? Read and review.**


	27. Chapter 27

**Heroin and Vodka**

 **Author's note:** **Hey guys. I'm pushing out this chapter earlier than I thought cuz I guess I left things hanging in the air last chapter. Things are going to flat line a bit regarding Annalise and Isaac. But I assure you guys they will pick up again in the coming chapters. This IS a fic focusing on these two guys! So relax! Its what happens in life. People quarrel and sometimes it can get pretty nasty. It doesn't mean that you simply give up. Cuz I sure as hell am not. Anyways, enough of my monologue. Enjoy.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own How To Get Away With Murder. Its plot and characters are the sole property of Pete Nowalk and Shonda Rhimes.**

* * *

 **Chapter 27**

Annalise was seated alone at the table, a saucer of vanilla ice cream in front of her. Although the ice cream looked appetizing, Annalise's gut clenched at the thought of eating it. Isaac's words rushed back to her mind.

… _."While an over indulgence could obviously be harmful for the body, studies have shown that ice cream actually works wonders for the recovering alcoholic. It contains alcohol-mimicking components which provide a sensory delight, producing a similar situation to being drunk." Isaac concluded their latest session._

" _Reaaly?" drawled Annalise "Ice-cream? Seems a bit too easy to me."_

 _Isaac eyed her in a knowing fashion._

" _I know you're skeptical but at least give it a try. Take it from me." he replied…._

 _Take it from me,_ he had said. She should have guessed that the issues went far deeper than she had let on.

" _ **Of course we're no good for each other!"**_

" _You're blaming me?"_

" _And here I am now. I'm just_ _ **sucked into your life!**_ _"_

"If she cared so much about her grandson, then why was it you who protected him so much and not her?" someone asked, from the corner of the room.

Annalise turned to face the voice. It was Bonnie.

It took her a while to understand the context.

"And she's hurt people before." Bonnie continued. "You. The baby."

"That was Wallace." Annalise replied.

"Are you sure?" Bonnie asked softly.

Annalise shook her head in confusion.

She needed some fresh air. To think things through. To get a fresh perspective of things. She got up and grabbed her purse.

"Where are you going?" Bonnie asked as she walked past Bonnie.

"To get drunk." Annalise replied.

"But what about your sobriety?" Bonnie asked. "You need to—"

"To hell with all that." Annalise replied before walking out through the doors.

* * *

Annalsie pulled up at 1130 W 27th Street. It was dark and well after 10. She guessed this would be the best time considering the fact that it would be abandoned and no one would be nearby.

Besides, who'd come to a burnt down house at the middle of the night, right? Who in their _sane_ minds would make such a visit in the dead of night?

Well, lets just say that Annalise Keating wasn't in her _sane_ mind to begin with.

Her mind couldn't help but drift to the last time she had been here. She almost felt Isaac's phantom hands rest on her's, comforting her. Her therapist had become so much more than her therapist. He had become her strength. Her support. And yet…

…Yet he had failed her. Had used her deepest, darkest insecurities against her. He was no different than Sam after all.

She got out of the car and slammed the door shut. She was thankful she had gotten her jacket as it was quite chilly.

She gazed up at the house as she walked up to it. 'Do Not Cross' tapes had been stuck all over the fence and the entrance. But these did not seem to deter her. She carefully slipped past the tapes and walked up to the porch.

 _ **Look outside**_

 _ **The wilderness**_

 _ **The wilderness is calling our names…**_

She approached the door, which was nearly falling off its hinges. The multi-coloured mosaic pane which had once adorned it, now lay shattered.

 _ **The blackest skies, the daunting stars**_

 _ **The desert sun, melting our cold hearts…**_

She carefully navigated up the stairs avoiding the debris and the bits and pieces of burnt wood and charcoal lying on the floor. Her feet hit a stray bottle which rolled out of the way. Glancing down, her eyes widened as she recognized the ancient bottle of vodka.

 _Flashback_

" _Look what I found. Evidently in one of my dad's old hiding spots." Sam replied, appearing around the corner as Annalise was busy putting a box away. She looked up. It was a bottle of Belvedere Vodka. Quite old._

 _Annalise shook her head._

" _I'm not drinking that."_

" _You want to toast our first night here with water?" Sam asked._

 _He took a cup from the nearby box and poured a bit of the clear liquid into it and handed it to Annalise. Annalise took it and downed its contents in one gulp._

" _My god!" Annalise exclaimed, with a grimace. "That's the foulest thing I've ever tasted."_

 _Sam nodded along with her, having drunk a cup too._

 _Never again." Sam replied, with a smile. "Come here." He pulled Annalise close to him and the two kissed._

 _End Flashback_

She smiled softly before moving on.

* * *

"Micheala?" Asher asked, as he walked up to the couch in which she was seated, decidedly pouring over class notes. She sighed and looked up.

"I know. Its stupid studying. Its not like I'm actually retaining anything. Its just that I need to feel…normal." Micheala replied.

"I need to tell you something." Asher replied, occupying the seat opposite to her. "As you know, this year has been the most awful of my life and thinking about what Laurel's going through and what's happening with poor O Man right now…I just realized that I think we should tell each other things while we still can."

"Ok?" Micheala replied, unsure of what was coming.

"I love you, Micheala. A lot. And I know that you are probably hating that I'm saying this right now. Or at least that's the message your face is sending me. I couldn't have gotten through any of this without you. I love you. I do. I…love you." Asher finished, with a goofy smile on his face.

To say that Micheala was taken aback would be the understatement of the century. She gaped, unable to find words at first. So, she decided to chicken out instead.

"I…I think Laurel just called for me." Micheala replied, leaving for the bathroom.

* * *

"You're going to have to respond to him at some point." Laurel replied, as she took a gulp of water.

"The only appropriate response to 'I love you.' is 'I love you.'."

"Ok." Lauerel replied, spitting the water into the sink. "But do you?"

Micheala sighed.

"I-I don't know." she replied, covering her face with her hands.

"Was it because of Asher who said it or—"

"I said I don't know." Micheala asserted. "How does _anyone_ know?"

"How did you know with Aiden?" Laurel asked, taking a tissue off the cupboard.

"I think i just loved the _idea_ of Aiden. That he was my Barack." She looked up at Laurel, who was eyeing her critically. "Don't judge me."

"I'm not." Laurel replied.

Michela scoffed as she shook her head.

"I had a bad childhood. I never learnt the proper way to love or be loved. It's not my fault." she finished.

"Ok." Laurel replied with a sigh. "You'll just…just know when you know. Or at least that's what everyone says."

Micheala was silent for a few seconds, before she broke it.

"When did you know with Wes?" she asked.

 _Crash!_

 _Bits of glass sprinkled everywhere as something heavy dropped to the floor._

Laurel shook her head, puzzled at the sudden image which her mind had conjured, seemingly out of nowhere.

She sighed.

"When it was already too late." she replied.

* * *

"We're both loosing right now." Annalise replied.

She was seated in Denver's office. Seated opposite to her was the man himself.

"And we're both going to keep losing as long as we keep at each other's throat. Its only going to get bloodier. We could fight to the death…or we could put all this behind us. "

Denver raised an eyebrow.

"How?" he asked.

"I'm going to tell you what you're going to find on my phone."

* * *

Annalise left Denver's office with a sigh and a soft smile. She had finally been cleared of all charges. And the best part was that Denver was releasing Connor from custody. Things were finally looking up.

Yet it hadn't been easy for Annalise to put the blame on Wes, to pit it all on him when he had in fact never actually done anything to begin with. He had just been at the wrong place and at the wrong time.

She was just about to call Bonnie, and tell her the good news when her phone began to buzz. Fishing it out of her bag, she glanced at it. It was an unknown caller. Clicking on 'Receive', she put the phone to her ear.

"Annalise? This is Jacqueline."

"Umm…this isn't really a good time." Annalise began, but was cut off.

"Isaac overdosed, Annalise."

Those two words sent Annalise's world crashing down once again. Her heart plummeted.

"The police found him in his car three days ago." Jacqueline informed her.

"Is he…dead?" Annalise asked, anxiously awaiting her reply.

There was a pause at the other end before Jacqueline replied.

"No. But he's in a critical condition. Do you get now why I asked you to stay away?"

"This isn't my fault." Annalise replied, her voice dry, as she attempted to defend herself. And failing miserably at it.

"Telling me about Stella is what sent him to this place, Annalise." Jacqueline replied with contempt.

"You needed to know." Annalise countered.

"I already knew." Jacqueline replied. "And now look what you did. You ruined him. Just like you ruin everyone else in your life."

Annalise hung up. She grabbed the seat right next to her and sank down into it. She felt like her world was collapsing in on itself.

* * *

Annalise had, with much difficulty, managed to convince the attending nurse to allow her to see Isaac. Fortunately, Jacqueline was at the cafeteria and the coast was clear.

She peeked around the edge of the door, feeling like a child hiding from her mother's scolding, glancing to see if he was awake.

He was indeed awake. He was seated upright, reading the newspaper. He was hooked up to a temporary dialysis machine which was steadily purging his system of drugs. Annalise looked up at his forehead. With a pang, she saw the gauze wrapped around it, as she recalled how the man had bashed his head into the wall.

She couldn't do this. She couldn't face him, not in his current condition. She was about to turn and leave when her phone began to buzz unexpectedly. She grimaced in annoyance as she hurried to silence it. But it was too late.

Isaac glanced up.

"Annalise?" he asked, in surprise.

* * *

 **Author's note:** **There you go. The end of Season 3. Hoipe you guys enjoyed it. Lets see if we can hit fifty reviews by the beginning of Season 4 and I'll have the next chapter up by the end of January. Speaking of which, Season 5 episode 9 airs this week. What are your thoughts regarding the second half of Season 5? Let me know in your reviews.**


	28. Chapter 28

**Heroin and Vodka**

 **Author's note:** **Hey guys! Thanks for the reviews. I'm pleased to inform you that as of 19/1/19, this fic has officially hit 50 reviews! Which is a lot considering the fact that fanfiction for HTGAWM is far less than any other TV show, with only around 310 stories so far on . Anyways, enough of statistics. I don't want to bore you guys with numbers and stuff. I'm pleased to kick off Season 4 on a high note. Hope you guys enjoy it as much as you did Season 3! Happy reading!**

 **Disclaimer:** **I do not own How To Get Away With Murder. Its plot and characters are the sole property of Pete Nowalk and Shonda Rhimes.**

* * *

 **Chapter 28**

Annalise sighed as she sat down on the chair and pulled the envelopes towards herself. Part of her knew this was wrong—the easy way out. But part of her which yearned for a fresh start was nagging her at the back of mind.

Annalise shook her head as she took a pen of the stand and began to pen down names.

 _To Micheala, Connor, Laurel, Asher…and Bonnie_

As she finished penning down their names, she pulled a last envelope towards herself. This was one she had penned just last night. She fiddled with it. The nervous way in which she held it was almost as though she was holding a live bomb in her hands.

Her mind flashed back to her last meeting with Isaac.

 _Flashback_

" _Annalise?" Isaac asked in surprise, noticing her standing at the edge of the door._

" _Look. I was just leaving. I just came by to see how you were doing and—" but Isaac cut her off._

" _Nonsense. You weren't thinking of leaving without at least seeing me first, right?" he asked, the corners of his mouth curling upwards in a smile. "Besides, I need someone to talk to while I'm cooped up here."_

 _Annalise shook her head._

" _I really shouldn't." Annalise replied softly._

 _The smile faded from Isaac's face._

" _I…I understand. Especially after…what transpired between us last time…" he trailed off, turning his face away._

 _Annalise's eyes widened. This was the last thing she wanted him to think about, especially given his condition._

" _Hey." she said softly, walking up to him. Isaac was steadfastly staring away. "Look at me."_

 _Isaac turned to face her. Part of him was ashamed to face her as he tried to think of anything to say to her which would justify his actions. But words were failing him entirely right then. He opened his mouth to say something, but Annalise beat him to it._

" _I forgive you." Annalise replied, softly as she reached out and grasped his hands and tenderly held them in her's softly._

 _Isaac gaped at her, his mouth open slightly in shock, not daring to believe what he had just heard._

 _Annalise couldn't help but chuckle at his dumfounded expression._

" _What? Cat got your tongue?" she asked cheekily._

 _Isaac shut his mouth in response. He gulped before answering._

" _How?" he asked. "After everything I did to you. After all those things that I said.? After…I let you down. Again."_

 _He lowered his head. A deep pang of pain hit him as he recalled the words he had said to her. He had used her deepest, darkest insecurities against her. Not only had he acted unprofessionally, but he had acted out of pure spite. He had willingly struck back. Not only against a patient, but against…a friend. Someone who had needed him the most and who he, in turn, had failed to support in her hour of need._

" _Isaac?" Annalise asked._

 _Isaac looked up at her._

 _Annalise could see the conflicting emotions in his eyes. He was trying to comprehend how on earth he could have earned her forgiveness, but failing miserably._

" _You weren't…you." Annalise replied, grasping his hands tightly in her's. "You were high and…we've all been there, really. Both you and I. You didn't let me down, Isaac. You were hurting. And I failed to notice it even when I should have and—"_

" _Stop!" Isaac replied. "I_ _ **was**_ _high. But that was no excuse for the way I behaved. I lashed out at you. You…you should be hating me right now."_

 _Annalsie shook her head._

" _How could I?" she asked. "You were in pain and…and I know you didn't mean any of it."_

" _I did." Isaac replied. "Then and there, I_ _ **meant**_ _every single word I had said."_

 _Annalise sighed. This pity game had gone on far too long. Now it was time to get matters into her hand._

" _Isaac. You can't blame yourself." Annalise replied, her tone changing to a stricter one. "You're a man, for god's sake. Act like one!"_

 _Isaac gaped at her in shock and at a complete loss for words._

 _A moment of silence passed between the two of them before both chuckled softly in response._

 _Annalise gazed into his eyes as he gazed back at her's._

" _So…" Annalise began._

" _So…" Isaac replied._

" _Are you…in pain?" Annalise asked, as she eyed the dialysis machine which stood nearby._

" _No." Isaac replied, all too quickly._

 _But Annalise, who had now known the man for a solid 6 months, could tell when he was lying. But she decided not to badger him. But Isaac, in turn, too knew exactly how Annalise was feeling just then. And he wasn't going to stand and let her suffer in his presence._

 _He straightened himself before replying._

" _You didn't do this to me, Annalise." Isaac began softly._

 _A painful lump rose in Annalise's throat. She gulped._

" _You're not my doctor anymore. So you don't need to say things to make me feel better."_

" _That's not why I'm saying it." Isaac argued._

" _So you think you would have relapsed had I not walked into your office? You really think that?" she asked._

" _I…I wanted to die, Annalise." Isaac replied, softly. "That's why I'm here. I gave up."_

 _Annalsie's eyes widened._

" _You…what?" she asked._

 _Isaac nodded before continuing._

" _You and I—we're very different. You get things thrown at you and you get back up. You choose life."_

" _I'm a drunk." Annalise replied, in a low voice._

" _You're sober." Isaac replied._

" _No. No. You let me take responsibility for things once in my life." she replied as her voice cracked._

" _But you didn't." Isaac replied softly. "You're not the reason why I wound up here."_

" _You're_ _ **still**_ _defending me?" Annalise asked, in exasperation. "After all that I did to you._ _ **I**_ _was a trigger to you._ _ **I**_ _was the reason you were suffering." she replied, as tears began to stream down her face._

 _Isaac reached out and gently brushed her tears away._

" _You forgave_ _ **me."**_ _Isaac began. "And I forgive you." he said simply. "We both hurt each other. And we've both survived it. I think…I think it's time we move on."_

 _Annalise stopped crying as she raised her hand and wiped the stray tears away from her face. She looked down at him._

" _I've some good news." she began._

" _Oh?" Isaac asked, with interest._

" _I've been acquitted of my charges." Annalise replied._

" _That's….that's great news, Annalise!" Isaac replied, the happiness evident in his tone. "I'm so happy for you."_

" _It gets better." Annalise replied, a small smile forming on her face. "The D.A's dropping his charges against you."_

 _For the second time that day, Isaac was at a loss for words. He was silent for a few moments before he spoke up._

" _A-Are you sure?" he asked, his voice trembling._

 _Annalise smiled and nodded._

 _Isaac smiled widely._

" _Thank you." he replied softly._

" _There's no need to thank me. I was just doing my duty." Annalise replied._

 _Isaac reached out and took her hand in his and placed it against his cheek._

" _Thank you." he mumbled._

 _Isaac tugged Annalise's hand and pulled her closer. He gently taped his head to her's. Their lips met. Annalise leant into the kiss, kissing him back earnestly before she pulled away._

" _So, how are things with Bonnie and the kids?" Isaac asked._

" _Bonnie's fine. The kids are also doing okay, I guess. I mean they are all still recovering from Wes's death."_

 _Isaac nodded understandingly._

" _So you're still living at Bonnie's?" he asked._

 _Annalise thought he caught something in his voice._

" _For the time being, yes." she replied, unsure as to where this conversation was headed._

 _Isaac opened his mouth as if to say something, but then shut it and quickly looked away. Annalise decided not to push him._

" _Well, I should get going then. Don't want to be caught by Jacqueline." Annalise replied with a sigh. "I guess I'll be seeing you after you are discharged."_

" _I wish you didn't have to leave." Isaac replied, still holding on to her hand softly. "I can take care of Jacqueline if it comes to that."_

 _Annalise shook her head softly._

" _The last thing I want to do is cause any more trouble." she replied with a wry grin. "And God knows, I've had enough of that to last me a lifetime."_

 _Both of them chuckled at that._

" _Amen." Isaac replied, with a nod._

 _End Flashback_

* * *

It had been two weeks since their last meeting. Annalise pulled up at Isaac's, the envelope in her hand.

 _Dear Isaac,_

 _I know things haven't been smooth with us lately. And I don't want to look as if I'm leading you on. That would be the last thing I want. I don't have the guts to face you anymore. Not when I know that I'm the reason you relapsed in the first place._

She gazed at the set of stairs leading down to his clinic.

 _I know you forgave me for everything. I don't know why. Perhaps you felt compelled to do so after I forgave you. Or perhaps, you're just that good._

She emerged from her car and steadily walked down the stairs, tears streaming down her face.

 _But knowing you, I couldn't bear to live with myself if I was the reason for your pain. You overdosed. You nearly died. And you've always been my strength, at least ever since I've known you. I won't be able to forgive myself if I was the reason something happened to you._

She walked up to his door, and knocked, wiping the tears off her face.

"Coming." Isaac replied from within.

 _Please don't take this the wrong way. It wasn't you. Its all on me. I never deserved you. And I still don't. You deserve someone who will always make you happy, not trigger you consistently and make your life miserable. Its probably for the best that we don't meet anymore. For both you and me._

 _Sincerely,_

 _Annalise._

Annalise watched as there was movement from within. She quickly slipped the envelope underneath the door and steadily backed away from the door and towards her car. As she turned the corner, she watched a s Isaac emerged outside. Not seeing anyone at first, he glanced around and spotted the envelope with his name on it.

With tears streaming down her face, Annalise revved up her car and left without a second look behind.

* * *

 **Author's note:** **There you go! I bet you all didn't see that coming. The dynamics between the two will shift now. So, sorry to disappoint you guys. But you'll have to bear with me for a few chapters. Because these two aren't getting back together before the mid-season finale. But when they do, it will be worth it. Trust me.. On that note, how did you guys like 5x09? I personally found it a bit slow with all the flashback but it was still good. Plus, Eve is back! Yay!**

 **The next chapter will be out by early February. Read and review.**


	29. Chapter 29

**Heroin and Vodka**

 **Author's note:** **Hey guys. Thanks for the reviews. I'm pushing out this chapter slightly earlier than I said as I'll be quite busy come February due to my dissertation work. Anyways I don't want to bore you guys with academic stuff. How did you guys like 5x10? I personally loved it although the twist at the end was somewhat predictable. I always knew Miller would turn out to be innocent after all. Or at least that's what I know so far. But who would have guessed that Gabrielle was talking to Miller on 5x09? Didn't see that one coming. Really interested to see how they connect the two plots. Anyways, read and enjoy.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own How To Get Away With Murder. Its plot and characters are the sole property of Pete Nowalk and Shonda Rhimes.**

* * *

 **Chapter 29**

"Micheala!" Laurel shouted, trying to stop her, but failing.

"Leave me alone." Micheala shouted back, not slowing down.

"Slow down. I'm pregnant!" Laurel shot back, hurrying to catch up.

"That's why we can't do this. Things are good in our lives for once. We have a second chance." She hailed a passing cab. "Taxi!"

"Can you at least let me tell you my plan?" Laurel asked, finally catching up to her and swinging her around.

"No!" Micheala protested vehemently.

"All you have to do is access my father's account." she continued, ignoring her. "It's called Antares."

"Wha—?" Micheala spluttered.

"You just have to find some illegal activity that we can leak to the SAC or the FBI." Laurel finished.

"Oh my God!" Micheala shot back, rolling her eyes and walking past Laurel.

"You _have_ to Enron him!" Laurel shouted.

" _You_ Enron him!" Michela shouted back.

"I can't." Laurel confessed.

"Why?" Micheala asked, pulling out her phone and glancing at it. "Are you afraid that he'll find out and kill _us_? Because that scares me too!"

Laurel sighed.

"This is for Wes, Micheala."

Micheala turned around.

"That's exactly who you sound like right now. He found out about Sam, Rebecca and the Mahoneys and look what happened to him!" she cried, in exasperation.

"My father killed him." Laurel argued.

"Ok." Micheala shot back. "Where's your evidence?"

"I'm trying to get it. That's what I'm trying to get." Laurel replied, her voice rising.

"No. You're trying to get me to steal files from my dream job based on circumstantial evidence!" Micheala replied.

"The evidence" Laurel continued "is my entire life. Ok? My father is a terrible person. He's done terrible things and he needs to go to jail and _you_ can make that happen."

Her phone beeped and she glanced down at it.

"Don't follow me." Micheala replied, rushing towards a cab which had just pulled up.

"Micheala!" Laurel shouted after her, trying to get her to see reason.

"Drive!" Micheala commanded to the driver as soon as she was in it. She slammed the door shut and the cab sped off down the street, leaving Laurel staring after it in disappointment.

As the cab sped into the darkness and disappeared around the corner, Laurel sighed. She decided to give it another go when they would all gather at Connor and Oliver's later next day.

She was about to set off back to her apartment when her vision began to flicker. She felt slightly nauseated and had to grab the nearest lamppost for support. Her breathing began to become heavier as the seconds passed.

 _Crash!_

 _Glass shattered on to the floor, reflecting off the fire near the hearth. Each shard of glass appeared to glow a bright red._

Her vision faded back to normal. Laurel shook her head to clear it.

 _What….just happened?_ she thought, steadying herself. She waited to see if anything else would happen. Moments passed and nothing did. She sighed in relief and sped off towards her apartment, thin king on how she could possibly convince Micheala to go through with her plan.

* * *

 _03-09-2016_

Isaac stared down at the date he had scribbled on the journal just moments ago. It had been a month since he had been discharged from the hospital. Ever since, he had decided to undertake a daily journal, a departure from his usual tradition of using his Dictaphone to record daily logs.

He sighed.

It had been a month since he had last seen Annalise. A month since she had slipped that envelope beneath his door. A month since they last spoke.

At first Isaac had thought to call her. But each time he dialed her number, and was about to hit 'Call', he would pause. He couldn't bring himself to actually go through with it. He was fairly certain that she wouldn't answer and that the call would be redirected to voicemail.

He dialed her number. Once . Twice.

In total, approximately seven times a day, hoping he could muster up the courage to say something to her. Anything. To make her see reason.

He had even been to Bonnie's, hoping to at least get a glimpse of her. That hadn't gone quite as planned.

 _Flashback_

 _He pulled up outside Bonnie's. As he turned off the engine, he glanced at the bouquet of chrysanthemums beside him. He had once heard Annalise mention that they were her favourite flowers. He had chuckled at that. He had much expected her favourite flowers to be along the more tradition choices of roses or daisies. The woman kept surprising him on a day to day basis._

 _The smile slowly faded from his face as he remembered the reason he was there to begin with._

 _He walked up to the porch and rang the doorbell._

 _The door swung open and Frank appeared._

 _Isaac stared at the man. He had only ever seen the man once, the first (and last) time being when Annalise had been shot. He had seen the man at the hospital, waiting outside Annalise's room, like a watchdog. Or perhaps a sentry would be a better word._

 _The man had given him an eerie vibe ever since. From one meeting alone, Isaac had realized that he wouldn't want to be on this man's bad side. Ever._

 _The last that he had heard, he had been convicted of killing Wes, and his case was directly linked with Annalise's and he had been charged as co-conspirator. Annalise had neglected to mention that he too had been released when she had been acquitted._

" _Not whom you were expecting, eh?" Frank drawled, observing his startled expression._

 _Isaac shook his head. He extended his hand._

" _Not quite." Isaac replied with a forced smile. "I don't know whether you remember me but—". Frank cut him off._

" _I remember you, doc. We've met. You're Isaac Roa. Annalise's therapist?" he asked, in a questioning tone._

 _Isaac nodded._

" _If you're looking for Bonnie, she's at work and won't be back till evening." Frank replied. "She's recently joined the D.A's office and been keeping busy these days."_

 _Isaac blinked in surprise._

" _I thought Bonnie worked for Annalise? Isn't she her associate?" Isaac asked._

 _Frank raised an eyebrow._

" _You mean you don't know?" Frank asked, a puzzled look crossing his face. "Annalise fired her a month ago."_

 _This was not what Isaac had been expecting. From what little he had come to know of Bonnie, during the few sessions they had had together, she had always been a loyal employee to Annalise. To a tee. In fact, if he recalled correctly, her obsession regarding Annalise bordered on the unhealthy. And he had sensed a deeper level to their relationship which Bonnie hadn't elaborated on._

 _Isaac cleared his throat._

" _And the kids?" he asked._

" _Them too." Frank replied, with a sigh._

" _I see." Isaac replied. "Actually, it wasn't Bonnie I came to see. Its Annalise. Is she…around?" Isaac asked looking over Frank's shoulders as if hoping to catch a glimpse of her._

" _She left." Frank replied. "She doesn't live here anymore."_

" _Oh." Isaac replied, the disappointment evident in his tone. "Do you know where she lives now?"_

 _Frank was about to reply before he paused and eyed him critically, as if he were examining something. His eyes drifted to the bouquet in his left hand and then back up at Isaac's face._

" _She cut you off too, didn't she?" he asked in a knowing tone._

 _Before Isaac could understand exactly what he had meant, Frank continued on._

" _In any case, we aren't exactly on the best of terms, her and I." Frank replied, stepping back in. "She'd probably bite my head off if I were to tell you anything. So, sorry man, but you aint getting that information from me."_

 _With that, he shut the door._

 _End Flashback_

From what he had gathered ever since, it appeared that Annalise had cut off all her previous ties. Both with her associates as well as her students.

She wouldn't want to see him. She had made that explicitly clear in her letter.

 _Its probably for the best that we don't meet anymore. For both you and me._

He had read and reread the letter at least twenty times over the past month. He had practically memorized its contents by now.

Yet it did nothing to diminish the hollow feeling of emptiness in his chest.

To take his mind off of her, he had dived back into his work with much gusto. Whereas earlier, he had a caseload of ten patients per week, here he was taking on double that amount. Sometimes he would even see five patients a day, which was saying something. This was quite ironic as he recalled that this was something that he had warned Annalise against himself—to become a workaholic was just as bad as becoming an alcoholic.

He had to keep his mind preoccupied, lest it slipped back to how things were before she left.

He sighed.

He decided to get along with it. After all, the journal wouldn't be filling itself up any time soon. He took up his pen and began scribbling on it.

 _Its been a week since I have been visiting the NA meetings which I usually prescribe to my patients frequently. Heck, I just prescribed them to a patient today._

He gave a wry grin.

 _Quite an ironic turn of events right? Who would have guessed that I would also be attending such meetings in my near future. That I would myself begin using again._

 _Anyways, enough with self-pity. Its been a month since I have stopped using. The urge still remains as powerful as it had been all those years ago. I don't know whether it is the fact that I am a recovering addict or something else, but I have been managing to hold myself together this last month. I don't know what it is—maybe Jacqueline has finally gotten to me. Or I don't know. Maybe it's the thought of her holding me together._

He paused before continuing writing.

 _I had a rather odd encounter today. With one of Annalise's students. Laurel Castillo. It was duringmy way back from my NA meeting._

Isaac paused as his mind drifted back to the meeting that afternoon.

 _Flashback_

 _Isaac was on his way home. It was quite late. Almost 9:30. The NA meeting had gone on longer than as usual. It was steadily becoming easier and easier to recount the events which had led up to Stella's death. At least each time it was less painful._

 _He was approaching his door when he spotted someone standing outside it. Judging from the silhouette from the light which poured out of his hallway, it appeared to be a woman._

 _His heart suddenly leapt in trepidation. But as he approached the door, the silhouette became clearer. It was a much younger woman. She was Latino, like him, judging from the skin tone (which to his disappointment wasn't the chocolate brown he had been expecting). As the woman came into clear view, he recognized her._

" _Laurel?" Isaac asked in surprise._

 _Laurel turned around._

" _Dr. Roa? Sorry. I didn't know you were out." Laurel replied with a smile._

" _Call me Isaac." Isaac replied, with a wave of his hand. He had never been one for formalities anyways. "What brings you here? I trust I haven't been keeping you waiting long?"_

 _Laurel shook her head._

" _Oh no. I've only been waiting for five minutes actually."_

 _Isaac nodded._

" _Do you want to come in?" he asked, walking past her and unlocking the door._

" _Actually, about that…" Laurel began in an unsure voice. Isaac turned to face her._

" _I was wondering if I could perhaps have a few sessions with you?" she asked, looking up at him. "Its just that what with… Wes's death and everything, I need to get things in perspective again. And I thought who better to ask than someone I already knew?" she finished with a smile._

 _Isaac smiled, nodding sympathetically._

" _I'm sorry, Laurel. I know Wes's death was hard on you all. Especially you."_

 _And Annalise, he added mentally._

 _Laurel nodded, shifting awkwardly from one foot to the other._

" _So, could I come?" she asked. "I'll of course be paying you for your services and—" but Isaac cut her off._

" _Nonsense." Isaac replied, with a warm smile. "You are one of Annalise's students. She spoke very highly of you all. I couldn't charge you after all that or your professor will have my head."_

 _Laurel nodded and smiled. Yet, Isaac noticed there was something off about this particular smile. It was almost sarcastic. Isaac shook his head. Maybe he was reading too much into things._

 _Isaac continued._

" _You can come over this Friday. I have a lighter caseload on Fridays. Subsequent dates can be set up later."_

 _Laurel nodded._

" _Thank you." Laurel replied. "So I'll be seeing you Friday."_

 _Isaac nodded as he watched her disappear into the night._

 _End Flashback_

Laurel had seemed…off. In retrospect, something about her was not right.

Isaac shrugged and continued writing.

 _So, I guess I'll be having Laurel over this Friday. I'll try to avoid all mentions of you-know-who, as it seems to have not quite struck a chord with her. I'll be turning in now._

He was about to shut the journal, when a stray thought flickered across his mind. He picked up the pen and once again began scribbling on the page.

 _Sometime I wonder whether I just let her go. Should I have fought for her? Is that what she wanted? For someone to fight for her?_

 _Maybe._

* * *

 **Author's note:** **There you go. This is actually the first official chapter of Season 4 as the plot kicks off from this chapter onwards. What does Laurel want with Isaac? Knowing her, is there more to it than meets the eye? You'll have to wait and see. Read and review. Next chapter will be out by mid-February. Have a good one for the time being.**


	30. Chapter 30

**Heroin and Vodka**

 **Author's note: Hey guys. What's up? I know. I'm sorry I haven't updated in a month and I promised you guys that I would update. But I've just been swamped under so much work lately over the past month. Its just been one crazy month! But I'm not giving up on this story—not even close. So, Season 5 is over. And it was one HECK of a ride! I knew the Governor was in it all along. But who would have guessed Laurel's brother would show up out of nowhere. That was….unexpected to say the least. You know what? I'm beginning to think the show writers are becoming sloppy and lazy. I thought we were done with Laurel' s family after Season 4. But the writers seem to keep employing them as some type of cheap copout which is really annoying in my opinion.**

 **Anyways, enough about my ranting. Have a good read!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own How To Get Away With Murder. Its plot and characters are the sole property of Pete Nowalk and Shonda Rhimes.**

* * *

 **Chapter 30**

"So…" Isaac asked, opening the door and letting her in. "…How have you been?"

Laurel turned around with an awkward smile.

"Didn't we kind of have this conversation that night?" she asked.

Isaac chuckled.

"You're right. We did." he replied, shutting the door behind him. "Its just a habit, I guess. I ask this to _all_ my patients regardless."

He walked over to his couch and turned to her.

"Please take a seat. Anywhere where you're comfortable." he replied, indicating at the various seating furniture in the room.

"Thanks." Laurel replied, occupying her position on the large sofa, adjacent to Isaac's couch. Isaac nodded and occupied his seat. He reached out to the mantelpiece on his side and took up his writing pad and pen. He reached into his coat and pulled out his glasses and put them on. He scribbled the date on the pad and looked up at Laurel.

"Shall we begin?" Isaac asked softly.

"Yes. Let's." Laurel replied.

"Now we'll be nervous the first time." Isaac continued.

"I'm not." Laurel replied with a shrug.

Isaac raised his eyebrows.

"You've…been at therapy? Before?" he asked.

Laurel shook her head, reclining into the sofa.

"Not me per se. My mother… was diagnosed with BPD after I was born." she replied, her eyes shifting away.

"Your mother was bipolar?" Isaac asked, noting it down for future study.

Laurel nodded.

"Would you happen to be aware of your mother's diagnosis?" Isaac followed up.

She sighed, straightening up.

"Bipolar 1, rapid cycling." She paused, before continuing. "She was diagnosed after she gave birth to me. She was hospitalized until she was so drugged out that she could no longer be considered a danger to herself or to others."

Isaac nodded, noting the details down subsequently.

"But let's not talk about my mother, shall we?" Laurel asked, looking up at him.

"You're right." Isaac replied, putting the notepad away. "But I always ask my patients to disclose any and all psych histories in their immediate family, so that I may establish a pattern to their behavior, irregular or otherwise, as they display in future sessions. And indeed. We're here to talk about _you."_

She nodded, reclining back into the couch.

"Now." Isaac replied. "I may be repeating myself here. But how have you _really_ been?"

"Fair enough. " Laurel replied. "I'll play along. It hasn't exactly been the best of times for me, these past few weeks."

Isaac looked at her sympathetically.

"I understand." he replied, "Wes was close to you all. Especially you."

Laurel looked up at him, puzzled.

"And what exactly do you mean 'especially you'?" Laurel asked, her tone becoming skeptical.

Isaac met her eyes.

"I meant to say you were his girlfriend, weren't you?" he asked.

Laurel's vision shifted slightly, as a sudden memory assaulted her.

" _Have you lost your mind?"_

 _CRASH!_

"Laurel?" Isaac asked, trying to draw her attention.

Laurel shook her head, the memory receding away into the background. She attempted to hold on to it. But it was in vain. It was like holding running water in her cupped hands. She sighed.

"Are you all right?" Isaac asked, concerned.

"Yeah. No. I'm…fine." she replied.

"Are you sure?" he asked. "Only you seemed to have zoned out a bit there."

"No. I'm fine." She replied a bit more forcefully. She suddenly recalled the conversation they had been having before her little…episode.

"Who told you that we were seeing each other?" she asked.

"Why, Annalise did." Isaac replied.

"Of course she did." Laurel mumbled below her breath, low enough that Isaac didn't catch it.

"Was it…not alright for me to know?" Isaac asked hesitatingly.

"No." Laurel replied. "It's fine. I mean everyone knows already. Why not you too?" she replied, her tone taking on a sarcastic edge.

Isaac caught the change in her tone, but decided not to comment on it and further antagonize her.

"I hear you're pregnant." Isaac replied, deciding to switch the topic.

"Yes." Laurel replied, with a sigh. "Please don't lecture me on getting knocked up. I didn't do it on purpose."

Isaac chuckled.

"I wasn't going to actually." he replied. "I'm your therapist and as such it isn't in my jurisdiction to judge you, after all. What I meant to ask is how you've been dealing with it so far?"

"If you're asking me what I have decided to do, then here it is—I've decided to have it." She took a deep breath. "I'm having the baby."

Isaac's eyes lightened and he smiled softly.

"Then I guess a hearty congratulations is in order." he replied warmly.

"Thanks. I guess." Laurel replied, looking away. "Well. _that's_ my big news."

Isaac frowned.

"You don't seem particularly pleased about it?" Isaac asked.

Laurel didn't reply. She got off the sofa and began to pace up and down the room. Isaac's eyes followed her steadily, patiently. She turned to face him.

"I don't _know_ what to feel anymore. Alright?" her tone rising. "I'm due in like five month and I know that's…crazy soon and—"

"Hey. Hey." Isaac replied placatingly, getting up and walking over to her and wrapped his arms around her shoulders. Her entire body was shaking. "Sit down," he replied gently, leading her to the sofa.

Laurel nodded, flicking a strand of her hair back. She sat down on the sofa. Isaac resumed his seat.

"Look." Isaac began. "I can hardly imagine what you're going through right now—what with Annalise's arrest and Wes's death and—" but Laurel cut him off.

"I could care less about Annalise." she replied hotly. "She's the whole reason why Wes is dead in the first place!"

Isaac's eyes widened.

"What…do you mean?" Isaac asked.

"She's the reason he's dead!" she spat. "If she had never chosen him for the stupid Keating 5, then Wes would still be alive right now." She looked up at him. Her eyes held a frantic look that Isaac was all too familiar with, having seen exactly such a look in patients before. "She promised to protect us. She failed to do so. She failed to be the person she promised us she was—and now one of us just got killed and—"

"You're wrong." Isaac replied sharply, cutting her off.

Laurel paused.

"What?" she asked.

Isaac sighed.

"Wes…." he replied, "….meant more to your professor than you could have ever imagined."

As Laurel sat awaiting an explanation, Isaac's mind flashed back to the night Annalise had shown up at his place, right after she had received bail.

 _Flashback_

 _Annalise was seated on her couch. Silent._

 _In fact Isaac was silent as well. They were both silent._

 _The kiss they had shared mere moments ago still lingered in Isaac's mind. He had never expected this turn of events. Annalise broke the silence._

" _Can we talk?" she asked quietly._

 _Isaac nodded._

" _Of course Annalise. What is it?" he asked._

" _Its…about Wes." she began._

" _Go on." he replied._

" _I…knew him. As a boy, I mean." She replied._

" _You did?" he asked, surprised._

" _Yes. His mother died and left him alone. I…tried to look after him." She looked up at him. "I didn't do it because I was trying to be some saint. I did it by guilt. I hurt him in ways which I cannot even admit to you. I just couldn't leave him alone. And I know why. I lost my baby but this…is so much worse than that. I would…worry whether he had done his homework or had any friends. And in Christmas, it would just make me sick…whether he had any presents. I tried to tell myself to stay away. What was broken in me would always be broken. It would stay that way. And then I did the opposite."_

 _She paused, before continuing._

" _I took him into my life. Into my home. He needed someone to look after him. Someone to love him and I wanted to be that person. I wanted to protect him. I…tried so hard. All I did was ruin it. If I had just left him alone, he would just have been fine. But I just wanted to—just wanted to love him. I wanted to hold him tight and keep him safe. He was just a stranger to me. But that's a lie. He wasn't just a stranger." Annalise's voice began to crack. "He was…he felt like….he felt like my son. Because he was. He…was my son."_

 _Tears were streaming down her face._

 _Isaac's heart clenched in pain to see this strong, confident woman that he had known for the better part of a year, shatter like this. He got up from his couch, walked over to her's and sat down beside her. He raised his hand and gently brushed her tears away._

" _Annalise." he began softly. "I barely even knew Wes. So I will not pretend that I know how you feel. But…you can't let this get to you. You…probably meant that much to Wes as well. If he were alive right now…" Isaac paused and placed his fingers on her chin and raised her face to face his. Her eyes bore into his. "…Believe me. He would tell you the same."_

 _Saying so, he pulled the woman into his chest as Annalise continued to sob._

" _I lost Stella. And when I did, the pain I felt…it was…I couldn't even begin to explain it in words. But I survived it. And if_ I _can survive it, I believe you of all people I know should as well. I…believe in you, Annalise."_

 _End Flashback_

Laurel was quiet after Isaac finished narrating the incident. She looked up at him, breaking the awkward silence between them.

"I…didn't know." she replied, softly.

Isaac gave a wry smile.

"Its…surprising how much we _don't_ know about those who are close to us. Those whom we _think_ we know better than they do themselves."

"I never claimed to know Annalise. No one does." Laurel replied defensively.

"Don't get me wrong." Isaac replied. "I didn't state that you did. All I meant was that you should give her more credit. The benefit of the doubt."

Laurel was silent.

"Well." he replied, taking off his glasses and placing them on the mantelpiece. "I think we've covered sufficient ground today. I'll be seeing you next Friday then."

"Really? But we haven't gotten to the reason for my visit yet." she replied.

"This isn't a process that can be rushed, Laurel. Trust me. We'll get to it. Eventually. Just not today." Isaac replied.

Laurel nodded. She got off her couch and walked over to the door and pulled it open.

"Oh. And Laurel?" Isaac called out.

Laurel turned back around to face him.

"Wes might be dead. But you're not alone in this." he replied, softly. "Your friends? They are hard to come by. Treasure them while you still can."

Laurel nodded before stepping across the threshold and shutting the door behind her.

* * *

 **Author's note: There you go. We haven't gotten to Laurel's mysterious visions yet. But we'll get there soon. In a chapter or two. Meanwhile, updates will be a bit sporadic over the next few weeks as I have my dissertation coming up by the end of March and semester exams in April. But I** _ **will**_ **keep updating the story if and when possible. So, no need to worry. So, what are your thoughts on Season 5? And the finale? Let me know in your reviews. Have a good time.**


	31. Chapter 31

**Heroin and Vodka**

 **Author's note:** **Ok guys. I know I haven't been uploading as frequently as I used to (I believe my personal record stands at 3 chapters posted in 3 consecutive days! Whew!). Anyways, I have been busy with my dissertation work and the submission deadline is drawing closer and is right around the corner as it is. But I decided to blow off some steam and give you guys a new chapter for the meantime. We still don't have any news as to Season 6, although I believe it will be announced by late April- early May. Without further ado, let's begin.**

 **Disclaimer:** **I do not own How To Get Away With Murder. Its plot and characters are the sole property of Pete Nowalk and Shonda Rhimes.**

* * *

 **Chapter 31**

Annalise cut through a cardboard box with a paper knife, roughly and vigorously. She ripped open the box and pulled out the neatly wrapped package. Ripping open the bubble wrap, she pondered on the object in her hands.

It was a Dictaphone. She had to order it, especially given the fact that most of her possessions all went up in smoke literally when the house burnt down last November.

Slapping in the batteries, she shut the back compartment with a satisfying _snap_. She turned it on with grim determination.

"Hack this, bitch."

Turning to face the room, she began to speak into the device.

"Class action. Day one." she began, as she observed pictures of three people who were each distinctly different from one another. One was a tattooed figure in his mid-30s. The other two were those of black women; one was that of a woman who was lying on a bed in what appeared to be a morgue, her eyes shut. One could almost mistake her to be asleep, when the fact was that she was dead. The third and final picture was that of a woman in her late-40s. She was wearing a suit and the Pennsylvania State emblem occupied her background.

"Keating vs the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania." she continued. She glanced down at her laptop, which was currently open to a webpage which read 'Governor Slashes Funds'.

"Governor Birkhead has to be the first name down the suit. Her team will hit back fast trying to get the suit thrown out. But she's the splashiest target. I need forty plaintiffs to file."

She let her mind wander as the flow of thoughts continued to emerge in her mind.

"I could knocking doors, visit jails. Sign up old roomies." Her eyes drifted to the picture of the elder black woman. She stood up, as a thought crossed her mind.

"Start with Virginia's past clients. See if there are any other cases she neglected."

Her gaze drifted to the picture of the tattooed figure. She sighed.

"Find a better face." she listed off.

She turned to face her laptop again and switched to a new tab. She glanced down at the webpage which now displayed her current bank balance. It read $2937.42. She rolled her eyes in frustration.

"Get cash." she asserted.

* * *

Isaac was heading back from breakfast. He had had a simple meal of bacon and eggs, which had been quite tasty in his opinion. He held a container of coffee in his right hand as he walked past his place, deciding to take a walk in the park near the corner, to freshen his mind.

He arrived at the park within a few minutes and took his seat on a bench. He watched as several people were engaged in various activities. Some were walking, jogging or running. Others were out waking their pets. But Isaac's eyes drifted in particular to an elderly couple.

They were a Caucasian couple seated on a bench not too far from him. The husband was dozing off, his newspaper hanging limply from his hands. The wife seated next to him, edged closer to him and gently plucked the newspaper off his hands. She rested her head against his shoulders so that her husband could, in turn, rest his head on hers.

Isaac's eyes softened as he observed the couple. He couldn't help but smile gently. It was moments like this which reminded him of the comforts an individual sought in another.

Despite the happiness he felt, a sharp pang of pain hit him as memories of a certain raven haired woman assaulted him. He could still picture her brown eyes, filled with laughter. He could still recall the feeling of those lips as they rested against his.

Isaac shook his head in an attempt to clear it.

It was no use pondering on Annalise. She had made it clear that she didn't wish to maintain any previous connections associated with her life before her student's death. She had cut off all her ties with her previous life-associates and students alike, leaving her past behind her entirely.

He finished his coffee in one swig and got up to deposit the container in the nearby trash bin, when he heard a soft _thud_ nearby. It was a repetitive sound. Intrigued, he turned to face the source of the sound.

Right at the end of the park was a basketball court. It stretched out a good few yards. As Isaac approached it, he spotted a lone figure appeared to be occupying the court as he moved about rapidly, dribbling a basketball in his hands. He was bare chested, and Isaac could see the sweat reflect the sunlight off his chest as he jumped up high into the air, throwing the ball at the hoop at the other end of the court. The ball passed straight through the hoop, dropping right through it. The ball thudded to a halt at the figure's feet.

Isaac couldn't help but admire the man's dexterity and agility. It was clear that he was quite an expert at the sport. He clapped softly.

The figure turned around to face him at hearing the clapping. Isaac took note of his appearance. He was dark skinned boy in his mid-20s. He had jet black hair which was short and crop cut.

The boy nodded at him.

"You play?" he asked.

Isaac chuckled.

"I haven't been asked that in a while." he replied, rubbing the back of his head in embarrassment.

The boy raised his eyebrows.

"You up for a game?" he asked.

Isaac sighed.

"I haven't played in a while. I might be a bit rusty." he replied. This was stretching the truth to the breaking point actually. He had been a member of his college team and had been quite adept at the game himself, owing to the fact that he was the tallest member on his team, towering at a height of nearly 6 feet. But the fact remained that he had completely lost touch with the sport ever since he had married Jacqueline. Having begun his practice, he had barely enough time left to invest on the sport.

The boy shrugged.

"Suit yourself."

He made off with the ball, dribbling it between his feet as he headed for the hoop.

Isaac eyed the boy critically.

 _Eh, what do I have to lose?_ he thought to himself. Besides he needed something to take his mind off of Annalise.

"Tell you what?" Isaac called out abruptly, as a sudden daring seized him. The boy shot the ball through the hoop and turned to face him expectantly. "I'll take you up on that offer."

The boy smirked challengingly as he shot the ball in Isaac's direction.

"Your funeral." the boy replied cockily.

Isaac mirrored his smirk. He went over to the seats at the edge of the court and took off his coat, depositing it on one of the seats.

He walked back over to the boy, dribbling the ball as he went. To his gratefulness, the ball complied accordingly.

 _So far so good,_ he thought.

Both men squared off against each other, crouched low.

"Rules?" Isaac asked.

The boy shrugged.

"The first to shoot twice wins. Anything goes." he replied accordingly. "Besides, I'm going to take it easy on you, old man."

 _Am I really that old?_ Isaac thought puzzled. But he didn't have much time to ponder on this as the boy's hands snapped out automatically grabbing the ball out of Isaac's grasp.

Isaac cursed. He should have known that that comment had been meant as a distraction. He turned to face the boy, who was now in possession of the ball. He was smirking widely.

"Try and keep up with me, will you?" he said cheekily.

Isaac kept his mouth shut, determined not to repeat the same mistake and let the boy rile him up.

Both players steadied themselves. The boy began to dribble the ball, steadily approaching Isaac. As soon as the boy was sufficiently near, he lashed out in an attempt to grab the ball off his hands.

But the boy had clearly anticipated this action, as he swerved to the left, completely avoiding Isaac's outstretched arms. Isaac watched in bewilderment, as the boy dodged to the left.

"You're open, old man." the boy replied, as he shot forward towards Isaac's hoop and shot the ball forward. The ball sailed right through the hoop. The boy caught it and turned to face him.

"That's one point in my favour." he replied, as he approached him.

Isaac watched him approach. He reached up and yanked at the knot of his tie, loosening it. Steading himself, both players crouched low once more. He attempted to clear his mind completely, focusing entirely on the ball in the boy's hand, following its movements as the boy continued to dribble it.

Both men stared into each other's eyes.

In a split second, Isaac acted.

He swerved to the right. Caught off guard by this sudden movement, Isaac quickly reached out and grabbed the ball.

The boy eyed the ball warily which was now in Isaac's possession. The boy shifted his position accordingly, guarding his hoop from Isaac's offense.

Isaac frowned. He knew getting past the boy's guard wouldn't be easy.

Isaac dribbled the ball as he approached the boy linearly.

The boy smirked as he watched Isaac draw nearer. Getting ready to grab the ball, his arms shot out, when to his surprise, Isaac swerved right completely avoiding the boy's outstretched hands.

"I'm a fast learner." he replied.

Without giving the boy any time to recover, Isaac shot off towards the opposing hoop and shot the ball straight at it. The ball sailed right through it and landed in Isaac's hands.

This time it was Isaac's turn to smirk as he turned to face the boy, wiping the sweat off his brows.

"I believe, and correct me if I'm mistaken, but that's a point in _my_ favour."

The boy smirked in reply.

"It wouldn't be a challenge otherwise." he replied. "I'm going to wipe that smile off your face, old man."

"I'd like to see you try." Isaac replied challengingly. His blood was pumping and he could clearly feel the rush of adrenaline course through his body, making him somewhat light headed and elated. It felt similar to the sensation he would often have when he would be high.

Both men approached each other. This time the ball was in Isaac's possession, and he was determined not to let it go anytime soon. The duo faced off against each other.

Without any warning, the boy lunged for the ball. But Isaac had already predicted this action and swerved to the left.

The boy resumed his guard.

Isaac eyed him critically. He knew he wouldn't be able to bypass him as easily as he had done earlier. He would have to alter his strategy.

Isaac approached the boy, switching the ball between both his hands rapidly. Unable to predict his path, the boy lunged towards the left.

This was the moment which Isaac had been waiting for.

He quickly shot the ball straight through the gap between the boy's feet. The ball bounced past him. Started, the boy turned to face him. But it was too late.

Isaac had already bypassed him and caught the ball and was making a beeline for the opposing hoop. The boy watched in dismay as Isaac shot the ball straight through the hoop, catching it as it fell down.

Isaac turned to face him.

"That's point and game, _kid_." he replied, his tone taking on a cocky edge.

The boy smirked.

"I guess I had that coming." Isaac passed the ball to him. The boy caught it. "You're pretty good, you know?"

"Thank you." Isaac replied. "You know, _you_ aren't half bad yourself."

The boy chuckled at that.

"You up for another game?"

Isaac nodded but then glanced at his watch. It was nearly time for his first patient to arrive. He looked up.

"Tell you what? I'll take a rain check on that."

The boy nodded and took off with the ball.

Isaac headed for the seats. Grabbing his coat, he was about to set off, when a thought occurred to him. He turned to face the boy again.

"Say, I didn't catch your name now."

The boy turned to face him.

"It's Maddox. Gabriel Maddox."

Isaac reached out and shook his hand.

"I look forward to our next match, _old man_." the man, now identified as Gabriel replied, with a smirk.

Isaac chuckled.

"Get ready to be beaten down, _kid_." mirroring his smirk.

* * *

 **Author's note:** **There you go. I know Isaac may be a bit OOC in this chapter, but that was my purpose. And speaking of which, I bet you guys are wondering as to exactly why I have introduced Gabriel a season early. Don't worry. I have my plans for him. And all will be revealed in due course of time. Meanwhile, updates will be a bit sporadic over the coming month as my end semester exams are approaching. So, updates will be somewhat periodic. But I will try and update as quickly as possible. Read and review. Hope you guys enjoyed it.**


	32. Chapter 32

**Heroin and Vodka**

 **Author's note:** **Hey guys. It's been some time. Fortunately, it's not been too long and I was able to manage to squeeze in this chapter in between my busy schedule. My exams are coming up in 3 weeks and I will be pretty busy for said time. So, this will probably be the only chapter I will be able to post in a while before the first week of May is over. So, enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own How To Get Away With Murder. Its plot and characters are the sole property of Pete Nowalk and Shonda Rhimes.**

 **Chapter 32**

"The Sixth Amendment gives you the constitutional right to adequate representation. You were denied that, right?" Annalise asked a woman sitting across to her in a cell.

The woman frowned.

"I had a public defender."

"Virginia Cross, yes. I know." Annalise said with a nod of acknowledgement. "Did she win your case?"

…..

"Obviously not." a bald headed man replied. "Wouldn't be rotting here if she had."

"Ms. Cross didn't have the resources to hire a blood splatter expert to refute your charges." Annalise replied, as she browsed a file, which was laid open on the table between them. " If you had a proper defense, then your attorney would have done a full investigation. Hired a PI, done a jury analysis…" she tailed off.

…..

"So you're saying that lady bumbled my case?" asked another man.

"The public defenders are doing the best they can. But the Governor cut their budget. So Ms. Cross couldn't afford to look for other eye witnesses…"

…..

"What are you saying? I could go to trial if we win this class action?"

" _If_ we win, every case in the lawsuit will be retried. I mean it's bigger than that. We're going to force the Governor to hire more public defenders for you and other future defendants. It's about taking on the system as a whole. You may be entitled to damages. It's also possible to clear your name .Win back your freedom. All you have to do…" Annalise replied as she pulled out a single document from her file, "…is sign this."

The man frowned hesitatingly as he contemplated the offer.

"Listen, we need to break the cycle of discrimination. Think about all the innocent people you'll be saving." she replied, with a smile. She took a deep breath. "What do you say?"

The man nodded, drawing the document closer to himself and taking up the pen.

"I'm in."

* * *

Annalise stepped back from a board as she pinned the latest plaintiff's picture on it. A total of twenty four places were occupied. Annalise smiled softly, as she took up her Dictaphone and spoke into it.

"Only sixteen more to go."

She set the device down and walked over to the mini fridge and pulled open the door. Resolutely ignoring the bottles of alcohol lined up on the shelves, she reached into the center shelf and pulled out a carton of chocolate ice cream. As she set the carton down on the counter top, a memory assaulted her.

 _Flashback_

" _While an over indulgence could obviously be harmful for the body, studies have shown that ice cream actually works wonders for the recovering alcoholic. It contains alcohol-mimicking components which provide a sensory delight, producing a similar situation to being drunk." Isaac concluded their latest session._

" _Reaaly?" drawled Annalise "Ice-cream? Seems a bit too easy to me."_

 _Isaac eyed her in a knowing fashion._

" _I know you're skeptical but at least give it a try."….._

 _End Flashback_

She sighed irritably.

"Coffee it is." she mumbled, putting the ice cream back into the fridge.

* * *

It was 10:30 am on a bright Sunday morning as people were busy strolling the park, taking in the fresh air and walking their dogs. One corner of the park though was buzzing particularly with activity.

Isaac barely managed to swivel out of the way as Gabriel lunged for the ball. He stepped back and took up a defensive position instead. Isaac eyed him critically.

It had been almost two weeks since the man had met Gabriel. After their first initial game, Isaac had made it a note to visit the park around his block every alternate day. Each day he would find Gabriel busy shooting for the hoops. They would engage in a friendly game of around a half hour before Isaac would set off back home for his clinic.

But today was a Sunday. Meaning it was his off day. Meaning he had been at the court for almost an hour.

Ever since their first game, Gabriel had become wary of him and had decided to stop holding back. This meant that Isaac had to double his effort to keep up with Gabriel who was actually a deft player. He was agile and dexterous, whereas Isaac was comparatively slower. But whatever advantage Gabriel had in terms of speed, Isaac more than made up for it in terms of his height and years of experience.

Isaac reached up and brushed the sweat off his forehead. He was carefully dribbling the ball as Gabriel eyed it intently.

They were tied at four points each. Which meant that whoever would score the next point, would bag the game.

"Not going to let you get anywhere _near_ that hoop, old man." Gabriel called out challengingly.

Isaac smirked.

"We'll just have to wait and see, wont' we?" he replied.

Gabriel crouched down as he readied himself.

Without warning, Isaac dashed forwards, dribbling the ball quickly, switching it rapidly between his left and right hands.

Gabriel groaned inwardly.

 _Not this again_ , he thought.

Isaac was steadily approaching Gabriel who had already extended both arms in anticipation for Isaac's feint.

This was the moment of truth.

Isaac reached Gabriel, who immediately lunged out with both his hands in an attempt to block him. Isaac swerved to the left, dodging his hands and shot off towards the hoop. Without a second thought, he shot the ball forward and watched as it sailed through the hoop and feel back down.

"Game." Isaac declared triumphantly.

"Don't get so cocky, old man." Gabriel replied. "Remember, I won the last one."

Isaac shrugged as he threw the ball to Gabriel who caught it.

"I guess we all have our days." he replied, with a chuckle.

* * *

Isaac was headed back home. He was just walking down the steps leading to his clinic, when he spotted a familiar face standing near the door.

"Connor?" Isaac asked, in surprise.

Connor turned to face him.

"Hey doc." he slurred. "Long time no see."

Isaac frowned at the tone and stepped closer to him. When he was a few inches away from him, he smelt it—the reek of alcohol.

"You're…drunk?" he questioned. He couldn't believe the young man in front of him was drunk at _this_ hour of the day.

Connor rolled his eyes.

"Just a wee bit." he replied.

Isaac growled in reply.

"Get in." he replied abruptly, in a tone that left no room for argument.

Connor shrugged and stepped aside as Isaac walked past him and unlocked the door. Connor walked in after him. Isaac led him to his study.

"Wait here." he replied, as he walked up the stairs. Connor watched him disappear upstairs. After a few seconds, he came back down, a bottle in hand. He approached Connor and thrust the bottle forward.

"Drink up." he commanded.

Connor stared down at the bottle.

"No booze?" he complained.

Isaac contemplated him with disgust.

"You've had enough." he replied, with a frown. "Besides, what kind of addiction therapist would I be if I _allowed_ you to drink under my roof?"

"Point." Connor replied, plopping down on the couch and taking a swig of the water. He set the bottle down and looked up at Isaac.

"Nice place you've got here." he replied, as he gazed around.

Isaac nodded absentmindedly, ignoring him as he walked over to his desk. He then turned to face him.

"What exactly _are_ you doing here?" he asked. "You're not here for therapy, are you?"

"Not likely." Connor replied, as he casually leaned back into the couch. "Besides, no amount of therapy can deal with the crap in _my_ mind."

Isaac frowned at that statement. What did he mean? He then recalled a conversation he had had with Jacqueline, not too long ago.

 _Flashback_

" _What is there to explain, Isaac?" Jacqueline asked, exasperated. "She's a criminal with a criminal history."….._

 _End Flashback_

His mind flashed back to the present. He decided not to question him, recalling their earlier encounter. He decided on asking something else.

"Heard you dropped out of school." Isaac replied, in an abrupt fashion. "Why?"

Connor frowned.

"Where did you hear that?" he asked suspiciously.

Isaac let his mind wander. Truth be told, it had been Laurel who had informed him of this during their last session. Isaac had started to grow increasingly worried about her these past few sessions. She hadn't been sleeping very well, which was quite evident from the dark circles underneath her eyes and her general drowsiness. At first, Isaac had attributed it to her pregnancy. But now, he guessed it was something else entirely.

But Laurel had specifically requested him to not reveal her visits to any of the Keating 5. Isaac assured her that he wouldn't. Besides, he couldn't even if he chose to as he would then be betraying a patient's confidentiality.

Isaac shrugged in response.

"You have your secrets. I have mine." he replied.

Connor nodded slowly.

"Fair enough."

Isaac watched the young man in front of him. He could easily tell that something was clearly troubling him.

"Why did you drop out, Connor?" he asked softly, as approached him and occupied the couch opposite to him.

Connor sighed. He looked up at him. His eyes met Isaac's.

"You really want to know why? Cuz of _her_." he spat out.

His eyes widened. There was no doubt in his mind as to who the 'her' in question was.

"Annalise?" he asked, puzzled. "But what does she have to do with any of this?"

"Everything." Connor replied with a sigh. "My life would still be normal if she hadn't picked me for her stupid Keating 5. I'd be in Law Review. Training in some fancy firm. Banging all the straight guys there…."

Isaac eyed him intently.

"Well." he replied shortly. "You've come a long way since then. Its already been more than a year since you joined Middleton. So, why leave now?"

"No I haven't." he replied, with a shake of his head. "I almost slept with some guy off of Humpr today."

Isaac watched him silently, not interrupting him.

"For sex." He continued. "See. Look." he replied, pulling out his phone from his overcoat and clicking on it. He then turned the screen towards Isaac. Isaac spotted a conversation between Connor and an unknown guy.

"He's wondering where I am right now." Connor replied, putting away his phone.

Isaac sighed.

"You didn't go to him though, did you?" he replied gently.

Connor was silent for a few moments as he contemplated his words.

"We did….so many bad things." he replied.

Isaac raised his eyebrows.

"What are you talking about?" he asked. But Connor appeared to have ignored him.

"Wes lying in the basement…." he trailed off, a faraway look in his eyes. "Its all burnt into my brain. You know what?" he asked, looking up at Isaac. "I'm actually jealous of him. At least he doesn't have to live with any of this anymore."

Isaac was silent as Connor continued.

"I've thought about it, you know." he replied, as he looked up at him. Isaac raised an eyebrow questioningly. "Suicide, you know? Just…ending things. I should have done it while I had the chance."

Connor's mind flashed back to the night in question, when he had actually contemplated talking his life. It would have been so easy to just do it—to stick his head out and let the speeding bus ram straight into it. If he was lucky, it would all be over in a second.

"Connor?" Isaac's voice called out bringing him out of his thoughts. He looked up at him. The older man was eyeing him with a strange look. It wasn't pity. It was a look of empathy.

"You…are a lot stronger than you think."

Connor eyed him critically.

"I just told you I wanted to kill myself. How is that strong?" he asked, his voice breaking.

Isaac heard the pain and guilt in his voice. It was almost reminiscent of his own pain—the pain and guilt he had felt over losing Stella.

"Because you came here." he replied, softly. "I've…been in your shoes, Connor. This guilt you're feeling, I've felt it as well." He took a deep breath and continued. "And I'll tell you the same thing I told your professor. It passes. Your life is far too precious for you to just throw it away without a second thought. Besides, have you ever given a thought as to what it would do to Oliver?"

Connor stared at him silently as his mind tried to conjure Oliver's image. He tried to picture the grief and shock on his face. He looked up at Isaac and blinked in surprise. He could see the pain reflected in his eyes. A memory flashed into his mind.

 _Flashback_

" _I know." Isaac replied, quietly. "I know that look. I've seen it on my patients. I know because…that was the same look I had seen often in my daughter's eyes. It was the same look… I had…when I lost her."….._

 _End Flashback_

"I'm sorry." Connor replied, quietly _._ "About your daughter. I forgot."

Isaac shook his head.

"What I meant was the pain and guilt lessen with time. Or at least…" He sighed. "That's what I've been told."

"Does it ever get better?" Connor asked.

Isaac met his eyes.

"Connor, you…can't possibly blame yourself for Wes's death. He was already dead before you arrived at the basement. There was nothing you could have done to save him." he replied firmly. "Besides, as far killing yourself goes, its only going to make things much, _much_ worse."

Connor was silent for a few moments before he spoke up.

"Well." he replied. "Thanks. For this… pep talk and all, but I need to get going now." He stood up. Isaac stood up as well, chuckling lightly.

"Are you sure you're sober enough to go back home?" he asked.

"I think I'll manage, doc." he replied. He walked towards the door and pulled it open. He turned back to face him.

"And hey. I'm sorry for that comment about you banging Annalise back at the hospital." With that, he turned and left.

Isaac gave a wry grin as he exited his clinic. Connor wasn't even aware how 'bang' on he had been.

* * *

 **Author's note:** **There you go. Sorry. I couldn't resist that pun at the end. It just clicked in my mind and I'm a sucker for good puns. Anyways, there's still no news of a Season 6 renewal. Keeping my fingers crossed for the news. Read and review, guys. The next chapter will be out by mid-May.**


	33. Chapter 33

**Heroin and Vodka**

 **Author's note:** **Hey guys. It's been a while. So my final semester exams are officially over. University life is at an end and I'm currently awaiting results which will be out in a few weeks. So, I thought this would be the perfect opportunity to push out a chapter. Anyways, good news! HTGAWM has been officially renewed for Season 6 and what's even better is that it's not the final season. So, that mean we will, hopefully have at least two more seasons of murder. Let me know your thoughts are on this.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own How To Get Away With Murder. Its plot and characters are the sole property of Pete Nowalk and Shonda Rhimes.**

* * *

 **Chapter 33**

"Have you been getting any sleep?" Isaac asked, concerned, as he observed the dark circles underneath Laurel's eyes. "Like, at all?"

Laurel shifted uncomfortably. That she had a lot going on in her life would be an understatement. Of the century. She was in her last trimester. What with the baby coming in just a month and a half , her body itself was under a lot of stress. Not to mention her oh-so-devious plan of taking down her father which involved much pre planning and secret night rendezvouses at her apartment with Micheala and Oliver.

And now this. These visions were now becoming more and more frequent. Earlier, they would disturb her abruptly during daytime only. Perhaps, once every four days or so. Ever since a fortnight ago though, they had increased in frequency. She recalled being jolted awake, sweating, just yesterday morning. And it had nothing to do with the rumoured 'pregnant lady glow'.

Laurel sighed.

"Now that you mention it, yeah. I've been having a few sleepless nights for the past week or so. But I'm guessing that's mainly a pregnancy thing. Nothing to get worked up about." she finished, shrugging.

Isaac, though, wasn't convinced. Despite not possessing much knowledge in the are of child birth, he was fairly certain that pregnancy did not deprive one of sleep. If anything it was the complete opposite. The growing foetus in a woman required much energy which it derived from its mother. As such, pregnancy was a very tiring event indeed.

Nevertheless, Isaac decided to give Laurel the benefit of the doubt. For now. Yet, he couldn't shake off the sinking suspicion that she was hiding something from him. It was his years of practice as a therapist which enabled him to be able to detect a lies, especially by studying the body language of a person and the modulation of someone's tone.

Laurel looked up at him, finally making eye contact.

"So, where did we stop last time?" she asked.

Isaac got up from his couch and walked over to his desk. He pulled out a drawer and, reached in and pulled out an object. Reaching into a second drawer, he pulled out a camcorder attached to a stand. He then walked back over to his couch and resumed his seat. Setting up the camcorder and flipping it open, he then pressed 'Record'.

"We're going to be taking a...different approach this session." he replied.

Laurel raised her eyebrows.

"I'm afraid I don't follow." she replied.

Isaac reached into his coat and pulled out the object he had just withdrawn from the drawer mere seconds ago. Laurel observed it intently. It appeared to be an ornate, golden pocket watch, the likes of which were frequently used during the late 16th and early 17rpth centuries, till the arrival of the regular wrist watch following the events of the First World War. A golden chain extended from it.

"Today, we're going to be probing a little deeper into your issues, Laurel. Through this." he indicated the watch with his other hand. I'm going to induce a hypnotic state within you, which will then enable me to get to the roots of your problem." he finished.

Laurel couldn't help but smirk.

"Hypnotherapy? That's new." she replied, nonchalantly. You don't seriously expect it to work, do you?"

Isaac mirrored his smirk.

"I know you're sceptical about this. But I assure you, hypnotherapy is very much real. It isn't just some magic trick or illusion made to deceive a person. How do I explain this?" He cast his eyes around, as if searching for means to explain himself.

"Why is it that so many hypnotists go for that cliché of swinging a pendulum?" he asked, with a chuckle. "You know about the mind-body link, don't you?" He asked Laurel, who nodded in response. "Well...I am sure you know that when you are stressed for long periods of time in the mental department, your physical resistances and immune system are weakened – your state of mind affects your state of body."

Laurel nodded. Isaac continued.

"In theory, hypnosis sounds like a pretty easy task, doesn't it? Simply sit with your eyes closed, relax, connect with your breath and guide your thoughts towards a specific intention. However, in reality, it can be much more challenging than this very basic instruction. This is because the conscious mind often has another agenda. One that involves distracting you with a million thoughts so you're unable to truly connect with that all-important unconscious mind."

He reached out and took up his trusty notepad and pen. Donning his glasses, he once again looked up at Laurel.

"What we're going to attempt to do today is to pierce through your mental defences and reach your unconscious mind. That's where our answers lie.

"And the camera?" she asked.

"Oh." Isaac replied, glancing at it. "This is just for my benefit. Something to look over and analyse after our session."

Laurel, who was still eyeing the pendulum in a sceptical manner, nodded.

Isaac nodded in response. Leaning back on his couch and crossing his legs over, he began.

"Now, the first step is quite simple, really. Start by connecting with your breath by doing some simple breathing exercises. I want you to take a deep breath."

Laurel acceded, taking in a deep breath.

"Now, let it out slowly." Isaac responded.

Laurel exhaled slowly.

"Good. Now, the next step is where it gets slightly tricky. I want you to close your eyes and clear your mind." Isaac replied.

Laurel blinked.

"How am I supposed to do that?" Laurel asked, confused.

"Clearing your mind is one of the integral steps to this procedure. Many of us think that our mind is designed to host a constant stream of thoughts and there is nothing we can do about it. The mind is in charge and we just follow. The buzzing can't stop and we can't make it stop. This is not true. Your mind is a tool that you can control—if you choose to." He replied. "Now, I'm going to make you go through some visualisation exercises so as to enable this."

Laurel nodded.

"Close your eyes and relax." Isaac replied.

Laurel acceded, shutting her eyes and leaning back on her couch.

"Now, I want you to visualize your mind as a freely flowing river. Empty your mind, be formless, shapeless - like water. Now you put water into a cup, it becomes the cup, you put water into a bottle, it becomes the bottle, you put it in a teapot, it becomes the teapot. Now water can flow or it can crash."

Laurel's eyes twitched in concentration as she attempted to follow Isaac's instructions. Several faces swam up in her mind.

" _So. I'm just your jigolo then?" Frank replied, as Laurel dressed herself._

" _Did I ever give you the impression that you weren't?" Laurel asked, smirking._

 _..._

" _We could use Tegan's key card." Oliver replied, hesitantly._

 _Micheala shook her head immediately._

" _We're not dragging Tegan into this."_

"Laurel, concentrate!" Isaac replied, sharply. Laurel was immediately jolted out of her thoughts. She sighed.

"Its not working." she replied.

"Picture you mind as water and control its flow, Laurel. I'm afraid that's all I can do to help."

She shook her head to clear her mind and began the process anew. This time, while several other thoughts did interrupt her, she continued to fixate upon the image of water. Slowly, but surely, the thoughts began to recede back into her mind. Laurel nodded.

Isaac was jotting down a few notes on his notepad when he looked up to observe Laurel.

"Good." he replied, "You may open your eyes now."

Laurel nodded, slowly opening her eyes.

"Your work is done. This is where I take over." Isaac replied, as he leaned forward. He held the pendulum loosely between his thumb and index finger. His elbow was free floating.

Isaac familiarized himself with the feel of the pendulum as it hung from his grip.

"Now." Isaac replied. "I want you to focus only on this pendulum and my voice and nothing else." Saying this, he started by swinging the pendulum, making large swings and then smaller swings.

Laurel observed the swinging pendulum, her eyes following its gradual to and fro motion. Isaac watched Laurel's eyes intently. He could see the reflection of the watch on her irises. Her eyes began to droop slightly after about a minute or so. Isaac steadied himself as he watched the hypnosis begin to initiate.

Isaac leaned in as he observed Laurel's eyes glaze over. Her eyes stopped following the pendulum's motion. He withdrew the pendulum and leaned back onto his couch. Laurel's gaze remained transfixed, staring into empty space.

"What is your name?" Isaac asked, quietly.

"Laurel Castillo." she replied in a monotone.

Isaac nodded.

"How old are you?" he asked.

"24." Laurel replied, in that same monotonous voice.

"And where is that you study?" he continued.

"Middleton Law School, Pennsylvania." she replied.

Isaac jotted down the answers. So far, so good. She was responding as expected.

"Now, Laurel." Isaac replied. "Why are you _really_ here?"

This was something that had been bothering the therapist for quite some time now. Ever since Laurel had begun her sessions with him, Isaac had felt something...off about her. At first, he had mainly attributed it to the pain she was feeling at the loss of Wes. But as the sessions had progressed and he had learnt some of the harsher aspects of Laurel's past- her inability to actually assimilate herself into a meaningful relationship; the unstable relationship she shared with both her parents, in particular, the rocky one she had with her father. She had seemed oddly reluctant to divulge much information regarding this and would always either shut up or deflect the subject whenever asked upfront.

Isaac observed Laurel intently, awaiting her answer. After a few seconds, she opened her mouth to reply.

"I'm seeing things." she replied.

Isaac cocked his head in puzzlement. That was a very...succinct reply. He couldn't read much off it. He decided to try again.

"What do you mean by 'things'?" he asked, in a casual manner.

Laurel opened her mouth to reply, but then abruptly shut it.

Isaac frowned. This meant that whatever she had seen was not something she was willing to divulge. Her conscious mind was suppressing this information and he would have to coerce it out of her.

"Laurel," he asked, with force this time. "What did you see last night?"

This was a complete shot in the dark. Assuming she had been having difficulty sleeping, he had inferred that she might be having nightmares. He was careful to rephrase the question so as to lower her mental defences.

Laurel remained silent. Isaac sighed and was about to try again when she abruptly began to speak.

"It was at night. I had just walked into her house." she began. Isaac decided against interrupting her and let her continue.

"I texted Wes. Where was he?" Isaac raised an eyebrow at this. This meant that she was recounting a memory. He jotted that down carefully on his notepad.

"I knew we had fought that afternoon but I hadn't seen him since. I shut the door behind me. As I walked into the living room, I spotted him on the couch. He looked up. He reached into his pocket and raised his phone, saying that he has sorry he hadn't replied earlier and that he had been working on a case for Annalise." Isaac's heart leaped unexpectedly at the mention of her name. He ignored it and continued to listen to her narration.

"I walked over to him and hugged him and told him he was an idiot for scaring me like that. He smiled and hugged me back. He told me everything would be alright. That he had signed an immunity deal. I was puzzled. I asked him what he was talking about. He told me that he had been called in by the authorities and had been asked to sign an immunity deal-one which would absolve him completely."

An unexpected memory flashed into Isaac's mind.

" _We did...so many terrible things. It's all burnt into my head." Connor replied._

Despite wishing to know the details regarding the immunity deal, he decided to let it pass. Even if he were to find out, he could not divulge any information that Laurel provided him owing to the oath of confidentiality he had taken as a therapist.

Laurel continued, ignoring Isaac completely.

"I was...scared." Isaac looked up at the pause, but decided against interrupting her.

"I asked him whether he was being forced into doing this. He replied that he wasn't-that he was doing it of his own free will. I couldn't believe what I was hearing. We had gotten away with it all, and he was about to ruin it all. Just like that!" she replied, with force.

Isaac frowned. Laurel was beginning to exhibit emotion. Isaac was currently accessing her unconsciousness. This was highly unusual given that the unconscious mind was merely a repository of memories. The consciousness was actually the component of the mind in charge of emotions. Deciding to continue further examination in their next session, he was about to wake her up, when she began to sob unexpectedly.

"I hadn't meant to do it...I hadn't meant to hurt him. But he wouldn't see reason." Isaac's eyes widened ad realization dawned upon him. Her mind was beginning to fluctuate. Her consciousness was attempting to suppress the repressed memories which were now gushing forth, without the superego absent to halt its progress.

"He was going to ruin _everything!_ Everything we had worked so hard to cover these past few months. **He couldn't just...decide to end it all in one go!"** she screamed. The scream resounded around the silent study.

Having decided enough was enough, Isaac leaned in immediately until he was face to face with Laurel. Intently gazing into her eyes, he raised his right hand and snapped his finger sharply.

Without warning, Laurel's eyes shifted back into focus. Isaac leaned back on his couch and observed her intently. She appeared dazed and out of it for a few seconds, before she shook her head and looked up at Isaac.

"What...happened?" she asked.

Isaac looked her directly in the eye.

"What do you last remember?" he asked, sharply.

Laurel shook her head to clear it, before looking him back in the eye.

"I remember...you talking to me about...water?" she asked, unsure.

Isaac sighed inwardly. She couldn't recall the events that had transpired in the last few minutes. He got off the couch, reached out and snapped the camcorder shut withe resounding snap. He then walked over to his desk and slid the device back into its drawer.

"So?" Laurel asked, following his movement, "Did it work?"

Isaac turned to face him and eyed Laurel intently. The man was unsure as to how to proceed. The therapist in him urged him to confess the truth. Yet, Isaac felt concerned that if he did, he would only be endangering her, or worse, someone else's life. That left only one course of action left to pursue.

Isaac shook his head in reply.

"Sorry, Laurel. I couldn't get much information. Well, other than what I already knew. Maybe we can give it another try next week."

Laurel nodded understandingly. She got up and swung her purse onto her shoulder.

"Well then." She replied, an unnervingly cheerful smile on her face. " I guess I'll be seeing you next week then. Thanks."

With that, she strode across the room, pulled open the door, and exited the clinic.

No sooner had she exited the room did Isaac brush his hand across his hair in consternation. Whatever he had been expecting wasn't this. The therapist felt at odds with himself. He began to pace his study, his eyes fixated on the wooden floor. He began to piece together Laurel's narrative.

She had walked into _her_ house. Annalise's house.

And it had been at night.

She had learnt of Wes's prior absence that day.

She had...hurt him, even though she hadn't meant it.

Which only left one conclusion.

Laurel had killed Wes.

* * *

 **Author's note:** **There you go. That's my unique twist to canon. I'm pretty sure you were all expecting it. After all, I had left enough clues in the earlier chapters. I always felt disappointed with the Season 3 reveal of Wes's killer. It had been a real dampener. Now that Isaac knows what really happened that night, how will he handle it? To know, stay tuned. Also, let me know your thoughts regarding Season 6. Read and review.**


	34. Chapter 34

**Heroin and Vodka**

 **Author's note: Hey guys. Sorry I haven't updated in a while. I was a bit busy with preparing for my MBA examinations. I'm really busy now as I have to study for multiple examinations as well as give mocks every week or so. Nevertheless, I still managed to squeeze in an afternoon of writing. Anyways, I'm not abandoning this fic any time soon as I plan to see it all the way through till the end. So, I hope you all will also stick with me on this journey till the very end. Ok, I'm rambling. Let's start with this chapter.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own How To Get Away With Murder. Its plot and characters are the sole property of Pete Nowalk and Shonda Rhimes.**

* * *

 **Chapter 34**

It was approximately 6 in the evening.

Both Isaac and Gabriel stared each other down.

Isaac eyed the ball in Gabriel's possession. Each player had scored two points each against the other, but Isaac was slightly worse for wear.

He had been unable to get much sleep ever since the last session he had had with Laurel. The discovery that Laurel might actually be the one behind Wes's death had caused many a sleepless night as he had paced his study, filling up on caffeine, deciding on how to approach the situation. While as a therapist, his duty was first and foremost to his patient, he could not very well ignore the repercussions of such a discovery slide by. While he couldn't directly disclose pertinent information regarding a patient to a third party owing to confidentiality issues, he had finally struck upon a solution to his dilemma. He had decided to disclose the information to Annalise, given her status as Laurel's professor as well as being his past patient.

He had struggled with this decision as well. Ever since Annalise had severed her ties with him, he had decided to respect her request and had not attempted to contact her. But circumstances had changed drastically since. One of her students might have murdered another in a fit of psychotic rage. Who knows what Laurel would do in the future if this information went unheard by her professor? So with much anticipation, Isaac had decided to contact Annalise.

That was easier said than done.

He had been trying to reach Annalise ever since the previous evening. Each and every time, the call had gone to voicemail. Despite leaving multiple voicemails requesting Annalise to call back, she had not done so.

He had called 6 times.

And left 4 voicemails.

No reply.

Isaac sighed and shook his head in an attempt to clear it. He needed to focus.

Gabriel made his move before Isaac could react. He dodged past his guard, and before Isaac knew it, he had scored.

Gabriel caught the ball as it sailed through the hoop and turned to eye him. He gave him a curious look.

"Are you ok, man?" Gabriel asked, as he walked up to him. "You really seemed out of it today. I mean…" he trailed off. "…that last shot should have been easy for you to block."

Isaac nodded.

"I haven't been getting much sleep these past few days, that's all."

Gabriel nodded before walking over to pick up his bag. He suddenly turned to face Isaac.

"Hey. You up for a drink?" Gabriel asked as he eyed Isaac eagerly. "My treat."

Isaac mulled over his offer for a few seconds. Heck, he didn't have much to lose.

"Sure, why not? I'm not passing up a free drink." he replied, with a chuckle.

* * *

"Cheers!" Both Gabriel and Isaac clinked their mugs against each other and took their first gulp. Being used to finer tastes, the raw beer caught Isaac off-guard. Yet, he grimaced and managed to gulp it down before Gabriel could notice.

"So…" Isaac asked, setting the mug down warily. "…let's get to know a little bit about each other. We've known each other in the course for around a month. How about outside it? What do you do, Gabriel?"

Gabriel nodded before setting down his mug. Isaac couldn't help but eye the glass in astonishment. It was almost empty!

"That seems fair." Gabriel replied. "I'm still a student. At college. Actually, I'm hoping to get a transfer to Middleton this year when session begins."

Isaac nodded.

"Your turn." Gabriel replied, before downing his remaining drink in one go (Isaac winced) and ordering another one.

"Well…" Isaac replied, "…I'm a therapist. But you probably already know that. I'm a substance abuse specialist. I've been practicing for over 20 years now and…that's pretty much about it."

Gabriel quirked his eyebrows.

"What? No family?" he asked.

Isaac shook his head.

"Divorced." he replied. Isaac readied himself for the next question which was inadvertently coming.

"Any kids?" Gabriel continued.

"Yeah…" he trailed off, as he cast a downward look. "…she died 3 years ago."

Gabriel winced.

"Ouch. Sorry man. I shouldn't have asked."

"No. It's OK. You didn't know." Isaac replied, waving it off. "I'm fine now."

Silence fell between the two.

He had been so used to uttering those words, that he had never realized when the lie had become the truth. Yet, he would often reminisce about those days which he had spent with young Stella, as he had watched her grow into a fine young woman.

He smiled fondly.

Gabriel chuckled.

"Well, I'm not really any better than you." he replied, as the bartender handed him his second drink.

Isaac turned to face him, curious.

"My mom…well…" he trailed off, looking away uncomfortably.

"You don't have to say it if you don't want to." Isaac replied, understandingly.

Gabriel shook his head.

"No. Its only fair. I asked you all this personal stuff. You should get to know something about me. My mom had mental issues ever since I was a child. So, more often than not, _I_ was the one who wound up taking care of _her_."

Isaac nodded sympathetically, as he eyed Gabriel softly. No wonder the boy was so much more mature for his age. The world had thrust a massive responsibility on his shoulder ever since he was a child.

Yet, one question remained answered.

"And your father?" Isaac asked, already having a growing suspicion.

"Never had one." Gabriel replied, with a shrug, confirming Isaac's suspicion. "He left my mom before I was born."

Isaac sighed.

"We're like peas in a pod then." he replied, before casting a glance at the wide screen at the far end of the bar. Gabriel's eyes followed him.

Someone had just switched the channel from sports to news.

A familiar voice came to his ears. He quickly focused on the screen. To his astonishment, he saw Annalise.

"This is the first step for our plaintiffs, all of whom have been treated unfairly by an overburdened justice system. And now the governor's office is going to have to defend themselves at trial." she replied.

"And we're coming to you live from Philadelphia Courthouse. Tell me, Miss Keating, you're fighting this fight all alone. That can't be easy." the reporter asked.

"Oh. But I haven't been alone. I couldn't have gotten through today without the help of Mr. Walsh here…" Annalise replied, as she indicated to Connor, who stood right beside him. To Isaac's amusement, the young man appeared rather flushed at the sudden focus in attention.

"He will now be answering the rest of your questions." Annalise replied as she walked off and the reporters began to direct their questions at Connor.

Isaac smiled softly.

It wasn't just because he had seen Annalise after what seemed like years. He was glad that she was sober and fine. Perfectly fine to say so. She even appeared to have gotten herself back in the game. He was also glad that Connor was alright. Ever since Wes's death and the blame Connor had shouldered, Isaac had been worried for him. To make matters worse, he had shown up drunk weeks ago, talking about killing himself. Isaac was pleased to know that he had gotten back on track.

He glanced down at his watch and whistled at the time. An hour had passed away since he had been at the bar.

"Well, I'd better be off." he replied, as he grabbed his coat. "Or else I'll be late for—"

He stopped abruptly to find Gabriel had disappeared. His bag was gone. There was absolutely no trace of him having been there. $20 dollars lay on the counter.

Isaac's brows narrowed in puzzlement. It was very unusual of Gabriel to make off without informing him. He couldn't call him either as he did not have his phone number. Deciding that some emergency must have come up requiring his immediate attention, Isaac got up and strode across the bar, leaving, unaware of a set of eyes which followed him leave.

* * *

Isaac was just approaching his door when he spotted a woman standing by it. As he neared, the woman looked up at him.

"Isaac Roa?" she asked.

"Yes?" he replied.

She reached into her bag and pulled out a large yellow manila.

"I work at the Court of Common Pleas and was asked to deliver this." she replied, handing it over to him.

"What is it?" he asked, taking the manila.

"That's all I can say." she replied, before walking past him and disappearing into the night.

Curious, Isaac pulled out the document from within the file and read it over. Having read it, he sighed.

Things were getting _way_ out of hand now.

 **Author's note:** **So, I was planning on initially continuing this chapter but decided this was a good stopping point. Anyway, its already past 1900 words, and I've been typing for a solid 3 hours now. Yeah, Gabriel left. He wont be appearing any more till he makes his canon appearance. Anyways, next chapter is the much anticipated and awaited meeting between Annalise and Isaac. Stay tuned to know what happens. Also, I guess I won't be able to update as frequently as I have been doing these next coming weeks as my mocks occupy much of my time. I will still try to squeeze in at least one chapter a month, regardless of my schedule. I'll try to have the next chapter out before August. Let's see. Read and review!**


	35. Chapter 35

**Heroin and Vodka**

 **Author's note:** **Hey guys. Finally, I managed to squeeze out some time and post another update. This week was hectic as usual. Despite getting university over with, I still have a lot on my plate. Actually finished my mock earlier this week which resulted in me managing the time to write this. Anyways, enough about me. Time to get this chapter started.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own How To Get Away With Murder. Its plot and characters are the sole property of Pete Nowalk and Shonda Rhimes.**

* * *

 **Chapter 35**

Connor was chatting away in the background. But Annalise had successfully tuned him out. It was a gift she had acquired after being a professor for years on end at Middleton. Tuning out people was second nature to him.

Annalise sighed.

Today was the big day.

Well. Not the big day to be precise. The _big_ day would be when her case would be heard at the Supreme Court. Today was not hat day.

But today was still going to be critical to her in the long run.

Her phone began to buzz. Already knowing who it was going to be, Annalise glanced down, confirming her suspicion.

It was Isaac.

He had been calling her earlier around five days or so ago. Annalise had been highly tempted to pick up the call. He had missed hearing his voice—his calming, gentle baritone. She remembered how her fingers had hovered over the receive button. But she had ultimately denied herself the temptation. She had cut things off with him for a reason. That reason still hadn't changed.

She had followed up on her decision by deleting the voicemails he had left. But it still didn't answer one nagging question which remained at the back of her mind.

 _Why_ was he calling?

He hadn't called her even once. Ever since the day she had left him that letter, he had not attempted to contact him. So, why now?

The elevator doors slid open and Annalise was drawn out of her thoughts. She stepped out of the elevator followed shortly by Connor.

"…Oh. By the way, I'm sorry I missed your call last night." Connor replied.

"Its Ok. " Annalise reassured him.

"I would have answered but I…uh…Oliver had this whole screen-free night and I had to be a good boyfriend. Is that TMI? Its probably TMI. I just don't want you to think that I'm not taking this case seriously…."

Annalise once again tuned him out and began to mentally go over her opening. She turned a corner and glanced forward.

Only to be met with the sight of the very person who had been preoccupying her mind for the last few days.

Isaac.

He was walking in her direction, having spotted her.

He…hadn't changed. Not one bit. He appeared to have regained his calm demeanor. He certainly looked to be in a far better condition than the last time she had seen him. Which had been at the hospital. Five months ago.

"Go inside." Annalise muttered.

"What?" Connor asked, glancing in the direction which Annalise was facing and spotting Isaac.

"Hey, doc!" Connor called out cheerfully. Annalise watched, puzzled. She had never seen Connor of all people act this way towards anyone. Especially someone he had barely met a few times before.

Isaac came up to him. He smiled warmly as he observed Connor. His face was starkly different from how it had been the time he had come to see him. It seemed he had finally found a purpose.

"Connor." Isaac nodded to him.

"What are you doing here?" Connor asked.

Isaac covertly glanced at Annalise's direction. He was amused to see her brows furrowed in puzzlement. Clearly, Connor had failed to mention their meeting to Annalise.

"Ummm…yeah…about that. Could I have a word with Annalise?" he asked, "In private?" he added, hoping that Connor would take the hint.

Connor nodded in understanding.

"Sure. I'll just leave the two of you here." He turned to enter the courtroom. He pushed the door open and before entering, he turned back to face Annalise.

"Oh. Annalise? Court begins in ten minutes."

Annalise nodded to him. Connor nodded before walking into the courtroom, the door swinging shut behind him.

The entire hallway was empty. It was just the two of them.

Isaac walked up to her. Annalise was resolutely staring away. If the situation hadn't been serious, he would have laughed.

"You haven't been answering my calls." Isaac started.

Annalise finally turned to face him.

"Look. It isn't my responsibility to make you feel better about this decision." She replied, defiantly.

Isaac frowned, puzzled. Then, he realized what Annalise was referring to.

She obviously thought he had been calling him regarding the letter and how they had…left things between them.

Isaac sighed.

If only it were as simple as that.

"That's not why I called, Annalise." Isaac replied.

Annalise looked up at him, her brows raised.

"The Attorney General subpoenaed me."

* * *

Annalise's eyes widened in response. Of all the reasons she had been expecting, _that_ was the farthest from her thoughts.

"Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth?" the guard asked.

"I do." Isaac replied, solemnly.

"What's he doing up there?" Connor asked, confused. "Did you know about this?" he asked, turning to Annalise.

Annalise shook her head.

She watched as Isaac took his seat at the stand. She felt as if she was reliving her past. This felt like a déjà vu situation. She could vividly recall the last time he had been up on the stand. He had attempted to defend her. But Denver's cross had left the man broken.

Despite being a firm atheist, Annalise muttered a prayer up to whichever god was listening in, praying that the scenario did not play out the same as last time. She shook her head to clear her mind.

The Attorney General began by asking the preliminary questions regarding Isaac's profession, to which Isaac replied accordingly.

"And how long have you known Miss Keating?" he asked.

"She was referred to me through the Bar Association's Disciplinary Board." Isaac replied, calmly.

"Because Miss Keating—" he turned to face Annalise, "—is an alcoholic."

"Objection." Annalise cut across sharply. "Mr. Chase is framing my illness as defamatory."

"Sustained." the judge replied.

The attorney General turned to face Isaac once again.

"Considering the seriousness of the disease that is alcoholism, is it your professional opinion that Miss Keating is competent to represent a case that will determine the fate of thousands of people?"

"I would say that Miss Keating has continually expressed importance of her work and a desire to see this, or for that matter, any case through." Isaac replied, without batting an eyelid.

"This hearing is not about Miss Keating's desire. Its about her mental fitness."

"Objection. Improper attack on counsel." Annalise called out.

"Sustained." The judge replied.

"Dr. Roa?" the Attorney General continued, "Isn't it true that stress is a risk factor in alcoholic relapse?"

"Yes. Stress often _is_ a factor." Isaac replied, "But not always." he added sharply. He was determined to keep his statements short and precise, thus not allowing the man to gain any leverage whatsoever.

"Do you believe this case has stressed Miss Keating to the point that she has begun consuming alcohol ever since you began treating her?"

Isaac glanced at Annalise's direction. She did not meet his gaze.

He had seen Annalise on TV last night, at the bar. After having returned home, he had cancelled all appointments for the evening. Instead, he had opened up his laptop and searched her name on Altafena. He had been surprised to learn that she had apparently taken up a high-profile case—a class action, to be precise. It was concerned with going up against the State itself in a fight for the rights of inmates, who had been denied proper counsel. He had spent a solid three hours studying her progress. He couldn't help but admire her tenacity and zeal. She had been reduced to ashes when her house had burnt down. Her career had dissolved into nothing and she had been boycotted ever since.

But she had risen, like a phoenix from the ashes.

And here she was—back at court, and fighting for the right cause.

Isaac turned to face the attorney General.

"She has not taken a drink to my knowledge. No."

Annalise's eyes widened. Isaac had just lied on the stand. While it was true that she truly hadn't touched a drink in months, there was no way Isaac could have known of it.

"How many times have you requested some kind of drug or alcohol test be administered to Miss Keating?" the Attorney General asked.

"Three." Isaac replied promptly.

"Is it because you feared that Miss Keating had broken the terms of her probation by drinking?" he followed up.

Isaac smiled wryly. He knew that this statement would be construed in this manner. But before he could defend himself, Annalise's voice cut across.

"Objection. Cause for speculation."

"I'm simply asking for Dr. Roa's expert opinion." The Attorney General defended.

"I will allow it." the judge replied.

Isaac grinned.

"Since it is my _expert_ opinion that you asked for, here it is—a substance abuse specialist is asked to administer these tests to each and every patient _, regardless_ of their status or profession. So, no. I did not order the tests due to the reason you have just mentioned"

The Attorney General's eyes widened. Isaac chuckled inwardly. Clearly his statement had thrown a wrench in his plans.

"Let me rephrase." the Attorney General replied, "in your opinion does taking on a case of this magnitude, so early on in her sobriety, increase the likelihood that Miss Keating might relapse?"

Annalise took a sharp breath. This was it. The moment of truth.

"Miss Keating has demonstrated nothing but a _complete_ commitment to her sobriety. And I have total confidence in her." Isaac finished.

Annalise's eyes widened at the response. She was so taken aback that she did not even notice as Isaac walked off the stand. Court was adjourned for the day.

* * *

Isaac was back home. He had just taken off his coat when a sharp rapping sounded on his front door. Already knowing who it would be, Isaac walked up to the door and pulled it open.

Annalise stood outside. She was standing, arms crossed against her chest.

"Come in." Isaac assed, rather cheerfully.

Annalise's brows raised in puzzlement at his tone. She followed him inside and he shut the door behind her.

"So, what brings you to my humble abode after _so_ _long_?" he asked, turning to face her.

"Oh, cut the crap." Annalise replied sharply. "You perjured yourself on that stand."

"No." Isaac replied immediately, with a shake of his head.

"Of course, you did." Annalise replied angrily. "I run the risk of relapse and you of all people know that. But you lied. Why?" she asked, exasperated.

"Let me stop you right there, Annalise." Isaac cut across. "You think I lied on that stand today, don't you? You're probably thinking 'How could he even possibly know whether I had taken a drink in these last few months?" You're right. I don't."

Annalise raised her eyebrows skeptically.

"The first time I saw you after so many months was yesterday. On TV. And I saw you as you stood confidently in front of all those reporters. You stood your ground. You stood tall and proud—the Annalise I had seen walk across my threshold for the first time. You had moved on." he replied. "Besides," he added, softly, "You've repeatedly stated how your work is integral to your life. I weighed the factors and determined that losing this hearing would endanger your sobriety more than anything else."

Annalise still had a skeptical look on her face, but her expression had softened considerably.

"You did ask for my _expert_ medical opinion, didn't you?" Isaac asked, his eyes shining with amusement.

Annalise caught on. She couldn't help but smile softly.

"So…" Annalise trailed off, "…How have you been?" she asked, awkwardly.

She stared into space, afraid to meet his eyes. Afraid to meet those gentle, brown eyes which stared back at her.

"I've been fine. Waking up every day. Going to the park after breakfast for some fresh air and sunshine. Coming back home and seeing my patients. The usual." Isaac listed off, shrugging. "Oh. And you'll also be pleased to know that I haven't been using."

Annalise looked up, finally meeting his eyes.

"Oh? For how long" she asked.

"Ever since you left." he replied, cheerfully.

Annalise frowned. His tone might have been cheerful, but Annalise caught something unusual about it. It was rather forced.

"Ok." She replied, hesitantly. "I'm glad to see you're doing ok." she added.

"Yes. Fine as a peach." he replied, with a smile. But the smile didn't reach his eyes.

She rolled her eyes, annoyed at his behavior.

"Ok. Isaac? Are you _really_ alright?" she asked, her annoyance getting the better of her.

"What do _you_ think?" Isaac shot back, his tone changing immediately to a more intimidating one.

Annalise froze, as memories flooded her brain.

" _You really think I would be in this position if it weren't for you?"_

…

" _See? Here you are again, yelling at me like you're some victim." He looked straight into her eyes. "That's your narcissism talking. I diagnosed that after our first session. I can show you the notes. And somehow I doubted my own instincts. I saw all those warning signs and I knew better. And here I am now. I'm just_ _ **sucked into your life!**_ _"_

…

Annalise was silent.

Isaac was silent as well. The only sound in the room was that of the clock ticking away.

"Are you afraid?" Isaac asked, softly.

Annalise looked up at him. His tone had changed once again. And yet, Annalise knew that this time it was real. It didn't feel like a heroine-induced mood swing. His eyes shone with genuine concern.

Isaac sighed.

He should not have reacted like that. That had been completely unlike him. He was about to apologise for his outburst when Annalise spoke.

"You can yell at me if you want."

Isaac's eyes widened.

"Annalise, why would I—" but he was cut off.

"After all, there's nothing that I haven't done that doesn't warrant it. I mean, that's what I do, isn't it?" she asked, as she looked up at him. "I-I keep hurting those who are close to me." Her voice broke, as tears began to stream down her face.

Isaac's heart twisted in pain. This was _not_ how he had envisioned this meeting going. He walked up to her. Reaching out, he gently brushed the tears away from her face.

"Annalise?" he asked softly, "Look at me."

Annalise hesitantly looked up at the man.

"I will never _yell_ at you. You hear me. _Never._ " The man sighed. He recalled the _one_ time he had blown up at her. Said the wrong things. Things which he, to this day, regretted ever saying to her. Things which she didn't deserve. Things which he could never take back.

"I've hurt you before. Hurt you when you were already down. Hurt you when you were vulnerable. I will _never_ repeat that mistake again." Isaac replied firmly.

Annalise shook her head softly. This man was once again selflessly taking the blame upon himself.

"I don't deserve someone like you. I'm bad for you, Isaac. You were right. Y-you _were_ sucked into my life. I never deserved you. And I still don't. You deserve someone who will always make you happy, not trigger you consistently and make your life miserable and—"

"Stop!" Isaac replied sternly. Annalise paused mid-sentence., her mouth still open. Were it not serious, Isaac would have laughed at just how comical she looked.

"Annalise, you are _not_ to blame for anything that happened to me." Isaac replied sternly. "Not my relapsing. And _certainly_ not my overdosing. You didn't do that to me, Annalise. I…" he trailed off, "…had failed to come to terms with Stella's death. I know I should have. Long ago. Then you came along. You were this reckless, stubborn woman that I knew would require much attention." He chuckled. "I didn't know when…I didn't know how…but you changed me Annalise. You made me want to become a better version of myself. You became my strength. You want to know how I have survived these past few months without using? That's how. I recalled the pain I had caused you when I had done so. I refused to cause you, or for that matter, anyone that pain ever again."

Isaac fell silent. He gently pulled Annalise closer and wrapped his arms around her. Annalise leaned into the man's embrace. It felt the same as it had always felt before.

As for Isaac, he had never envisioned ever hugging the woman again. Feeling her in his arms, Isaac finally felt…complete. He smiled softly.

Annalise looked up.

"I know this probably doesn't make up for everything but…" she trailed off, leaning in closer, as her lips touched Isaac's. Isaac leaned into the kiss. She responded immediately, surprising him. Her mouth was so warm, the caress of her lips softer than he could have imagined. He broke off before looking down at her. She was looking up at him expectantly.

Isaac's heart began to beat faster as Annalise stepped away from him. Slowly, standing at the foot of the long couch, the woman began taking off her clothes. First, she undid her tight jacket, button by button, taking her time. Underneath she had on a skimpy black bra.

The last thing Isaac could recall was as she walked up to him and began to undress him, opening each button carefully, while kissing his neck. Isaac gently raised her face and kissed her softly. As she melted into her arms, Isaac smiled softly.

 **Author's note: There you go. They finally did it! I'm so happy that it happened. I know it never did in canon. Heck, they didn't even kiss properly in canon. I was so angry at the writers for preventing such an incredible pairing. Anyways, enough of my ranting. I hope you guys enjoyed it. Also, I'm not good at writing sex scenes so I'm leaving it your imagination. I'm sure you guys will be able to think up something spicy! This will probably be my last update in July. Next chapter will be out by early-mid August. Stay tuned for the mid-finale. Until then, read and review.**


	36. Chapter 36

**Heroin and Vodka**

 **Author's note:** **Hey guys. Finally, on time for an update. These past few weeks have been a bit hectic for me. My classes have become much more frequent leaving me very little time to write. But as I said last time, I did promise to be on schedule. So, here I am with a new chapter and it's the season 4 mid-finale. Enjoy.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own How To Get Away With Murder. Its plot and characters are the sole property of Pete Nowalk and Shonda Rhimes.**

 **Chapter 36**

Oliver rushed to keep up with his would-be fiancé as he climbed up the stairs.

"Please don't blame Laurel." he replied with worry.

"Of course, I blame her." Connor replied without turning back.

"It was my decision to keep this from you." Oliver tried in a desperate attempt to calm him down.

"Yeah, because she bullied you." Connor shot back.

"No. That's not true." Oliver denied vehemently. "Please, just…think twice before you say anything you'll regret."

Connor sighed as he turned to face Oliver. There was only one thing that he _did_ regret. Back when Oliver had proposed to him when he had been released from Denver's custody, he had waved it off by saying that the time wasn't right—that they were not in the same place. A half hour ago, he finally realized that he had always been in the same place. It was Oliver who had helped him make up his mind. That, and also the talk he had had with Isaac a month or so ago. He had finally popped the question only for Oliver to drop a bomb—that he along with Micheala and Laurel had been planning to go on the offensive against Laurel's father.

Clearly they were _still_ not on the same page.

"Give me the ring back." Connor demanded.

"What?" Oliver asked.

"I offered it to you when I thought we were in a good place. No longer applies." he replied without meeting his eyes.

Oliver sighed and put his hands into his pocket. Drawing out the makeshift twisty tie ring that Connor had made, he handed it back to him. Connor pocketed it without a word.

"Laurel! Open up." Connor shouted, thumping on the door to apartment 4B.

The door swung open and Connor spotted Micheala and Asher inside the room, waiting. Micheala rose from Laurel's bed.

"Connor, let us explain." she replied.

"You told them we were coming?" Connor asked Oliver quietly.

As he stepped into the room with Oliver following behind him meekly, he spotted Frank on the other side of the door. He had a grim expression on his face.

"What?" Connor asked, turning to face Laurel. "You going to tie me up like we did Rebecca?"

Laurel sighed, swinging the door shut and turned to face Connor.

"Let's hope it doesn't come to that." she replied.

* * *

It was 5 o' clock. Evening. At a distance, Isaac could hear the cars honking around the corner. But the only sound that he cared for was one that was coming from right next to him.

It was Annalise.

Isaac turned to face her. Her eyes were shut and she was sleeping peacefully.

 _You awoke into my night,_

 _You could see the madness in my eyes._

He reached out and gently brushed a stray strand of hair away from her face.

 _Calm me down with your caress_

He smiled softly. He couldn't believe the turn of events that had transpired in the last hour.

 _Oh my god, you're beautiful_

 _Why do you stay with this neurotic fool?_

He sighed as he fell back on his pillow. Reaching out, he pulled the woman into his arms and hugged her tightly.

 _I've lost control please save me from myself_ _  
_ _I've lost control please save me from myself_ _  
_ _I've lost control please save me from myself_

The phone buzzed startling Isaac and breaking the blissful moment.

Annalise's eyes cracked open. She frowned. She could have sworn that he had kept her phone on silent. Turning to the tableside, Isaac noticed grabbed Annalise's phone and handed it to her. She noticed the caller and sighed in frustration. Really, she couldn't catch a break.

"I told you not to call me." Annalise replied, huffed.

Isaac watched the woman's annoyance in amusement. But the smile faded as soon as it had come as Isaac noticed Annalise's expression darken. After a minute of silence in which Annalise hadn't spoken a word, she hung up. She turned to face Isaac. Isaac had an ominous feeling that something horrible had just happened. Or was about to happen.

"Annalise, what's wrong?" he asked.

Annalise bit her lips as she was unable to make up her mind. Should she let Isaac in on what had happened or was likely to happen? Trust wasn't the issue here. She trusted the man with her heart. But Annalise was afraid. Afraid of what he might think if he ever came to know her darker secrets.

She got up from the couch and began to dress frantically. Isaac watched in concern as he too got up.

"Annalise, what happened? Who was that call from?" he demanded.

"I need to leave." Annalise replied immediately as she grabbed her bag and made a dash for the door.

Only to stop as Isaac blocked her way. His face was grave and serious.

"Isaac, move. I don't have the time to—" but he cut him off.

"Well then, make time." Isaac demanded. "Because the only way you're walking through that door is if you give me an explanation. I won't let you throw away what we have."

Annalise was silent as her gaze drifted away from him. Isaac gazed down at him. His eyes softened.

"Annalise?" he tried, "Talk to me." he replied softly. "Come on. Talk to me."

Annalise finally looked up at him. His eyes held the same gentle warmth that she had always seen. Only now it was also filled with concern.

She sighed as she stepped back from the door. Isaac relaxed his stance.

"Get dressed. I'll fill you in on the way." she replied curtly.

* * *

As Annalise took the seat next to him, Isaac's mind was racing.

What Annalise had just told him was still playing through his mind.

The Keating 4—and that included Oliver as well, were currently at Caplan and Gold, the law firm which if he recalled correctly from his sessions with Laurel, that Michaela had secured an internship in. They had figured out that it was Laurel's father who was responsible for Wes's death. And now, they were planning on bankrupting his company, Antares, which was incidentally going public tonight. The Keating 4 were planning on stealing information from secure hard drives at the firm and leak said files to the SEC, thus bringing their plans to fruition.

Or not.

Isaac could already picture a thousand ways this plan would fall to pieces with the kids being caught at the end.

And to make matters worse, this entire plan was spearheaded by none other than Laurel. She was the mastermind behind all this and was the one who had egged Micheala and Oliver into helping her. Isaac hadn't gotten around to actually inform Annalise about his findings regarding Laurel. Well, now was better than ever.

Isaac turned the corner, skipping a red light as the car whizzed down the road. He turned to face Annalise who was busy attempting to contact Laurel. On the third try, she sighed and began to speak.

"I need you to leave that party right now and come to my hotel. Easton, room 1106. I'll help you however you want." She paused before resuming. "I need you to trust me again Laurel."

Isaac sighed and decided against it. If he told her about Laurel right now, who knew how she would react? He would only be adding to her troubles. And she had enough on her plate as it was.

Annalise put her phone away as she stared up the road. Her face was resolute and calm. But Isaac knew that behind that façade, her mind was probably in the same state as his. He reached out and placed his left hand on her right hand and squeezed it gently. Annalise turned to face him.

"Its going to be alright. They haven't done anything yet. And if you've taught them anything, it's to be cunning and resourceful. After all, they _are_ your students." He chuckled nervously. "They just might get away with this."

Isaac watched as the corners of her mouth pulled up. He chuckled.

* * *

As they both rushed into the Easton, Annalise dialled Frank. Fortunately, he picked up on the first try. Annalise had a choice few words for him as she dashed towards the elevator. As luck would have it, it wasn't responding.

With no other way, they headed straight for the stairs. After climbing what seemed like a never-ending flight of stairs, they finally arrived on the eleventh floor.

"Why? Why in god's name do you live on the eleventh floor?" Isaac asked, panting, as he rushed to keep up with Annalise, who didn't reply. She rushed down the hall and pulled out her key. Jamming it into the doorknob, she wrenched open the door. Isaac was about to follow when he heard something. He paused, waiting to hear it again.

Then he heard it. It was faint, but it was still there. A woman's screaming.

"Annalise?" Isaac called out urgently. "Could you come here for a second?"

Annalise came over to him, an impatient expression etched on her face.

"What are you—" but Isaac cut him off. He urged her to be silent and listen.

This time the scream was louder and sounded much closer than before.

Her eyes widened.

"Laurel!" they both realized, arriving at the same conclusion simultaneously.

Annalise dashed off towards the source of the screaming which appeared to be coming from the elevator. She attempted to pull the elevator open, but it refused to budge. Isaac, realizing that no amount of force would suffice, dashed into Annalise's apartment and headed over to the kitchen. His eyes scanned the crockery until they fell on what they were searching for.

A knife.

Grabbing it off the countertop, he dashed back into the hallway and ran up to the elevator. Annalise was desperately calling out Laurel's name, but in vain as the screaming had now ceased completely.

He jammed the knife into the door and pried it open. He gasped at the sight that met him.

Laurel was curled up on the floor in a foetal position. Blood was streaming down her legs and onto the floor. Bloody handprints adorned one of the walls. She had obviously attempted to support herself, but had failed.

Annalise began to hyperventilate at the sight of Laurel.

"Laurel. Oh my god. Laurel!" She tried to reach through the grills and grab her but failed to do so. "Laurel! Wake up. Laurel."

Isaac grabbed the grill and tried to pry in open. But it remained as it was.

"Laurel. Wake up!" Annalise repeated, as she began to jerk her leg. As she did so, Isaac spotted something.

"Annalise, she's crowning!" Isaac replied in shock. "We have to do something."

He bent down and reached out and manged to pull Laurel's unconscious body over to him. As soon as he did, Annalise spotted the baby's crowing head.

"What do we do?" Annalise asked Isaac, frantically.

Isaac pulled the baby closer. It was bloody and small. Clearly premature. As Isaac watched it, a wave of panic passed through him. If Laurel didn't survive this, then things would go south from here. Isaac took a deep breath and forced himself to calm down, his training as a therapist for 20 years kicking in.

"We need to start compressions immediately." he replied, turning to face Annalise. "We need to… clamp the umbilical cord. Find something to tie it off. Do you have anything like a rope…or a shoe string maybe?" he asked.

Annalise dashed into her room and began to fumble through her bag. She grabbed her phone charger and dashed to the elevator.

"Will this do?" Annalise asked, handing the charger over to Isaac.

"Perfect." Isaac replied calmly. He pulled out the port and wrapped the charging cable around the umbilical cord. Grabbing the knife, he carefully and gently cut the cord. As Annalise pulled the baby to herself, tears were running down her face.

"Its not breathing." she sobbed.

"Annalise! Look at me!" Isaac shouted. Her eyes shot up to meet his. "You need to _calm down_. Getting agitated isn't helping Laurel or the baby."

Annalise stopped crying.

Isaac steeled himself for the next action.

"Now, Annalise. I'm going to walk you through CPR. Are you ready?"

Annalise's eyes widened.

"Why can't you?" she asked.

"I can't, Annalise." Isaac sighed. "My hands aren't clean and they've touched the floor. I could risk infecting the baby."

Annalise nodded mutely as she placed the baby gently on the floor.

"Place your hand gently on the baby's chest. Push straight down about half an inch with each compression." Isaac replied.

Annalise hesitated.

"I'm afraid I'll hurt him." she sobbed.

"You won't." Isaac replied, softly. "Start gently. You'll be able to tell how much."

Annalise nodded and pressed down gently. She did it again. And then again.

"Ok. Its not working." Annalise replied in frustration as sweat ran down her brow.

"It will." he replied, calmly. "The goal is around 120 to 140 compressions per minute. I'm right here. I'll count you through it. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7…."

As Isaac counted, Annalise resumed her compressions. He watched as Annalise continued to press down on the baby's chest gently.

" _Stella!" Isaac called out in horror, as she spotted her still form laid out on the bathroom floor, motionless._

" _Stella. S-Stella." He sobbed, as he began to apply compressions against her chest, but in vain. No matter how much force he applied, the body did not respond._

Isaac eyed the baby critically.

"Live." Annalise muttered. "Live. Live." Isaac couldn't help but pray the same.

"…122. 123. 124—" His counting was abruptly cut off as the baby finally bawled. It stirred and began to cry.

Both Annalise and Isaac sighed in relief. Annalise plopped back down on the floor, panting as though she had been running a marathon. Isaac reached into his pocket and pulled out his cell phone. He quickly dialled 911.

"Hello? This is Isaac Roa. I'm currently speaking from the 11th floor of the Easton. A woman has just given birth in the elevator…"

Annalise watched as Isaac informed them of the situation. His voice still held that calm tempo that he had adopted ever since the past few moments. He finally put the phone away. He looked up at Annalise. The grim expression on his face morphed into a relieved one.

"The paramedics are on their way." he informed her. "They should be here in 10 minutes."

Annalise nodded.

Isaac got up and walked into Annalise's apartment. Annalise watched him as he exited, handing her a glass of water.

"Drink up." he replied softly.

Annalise nodded gratefully and took the glass. She gulped down the water in one gulp. As she handed the glass back to Isaac, she caught his hand and squeezed it softly.

"Thank you." she replied.

Isaac's frowned, puzzled.

"For what?" Isaac asked. "I didn't do anything. This was all you."

Annalise shook her head.

"I…couldn't have done it without you. So, shut up and take the thanks." she huffed.

Isaac chuckled in amusement.

"Ok. If you say so."

* * *

 **Author's note:** **Whew! Man, was this a difficult chapter to type. I had to rewatch 4x08 entirely, especially the elevator scene, which till date, remains one of the best scenes I have ever seen on TV. Viola Davis's acting was spot on and brilliant. She took it to the next level.**

 **Well, there you go. The mid-finale. Or at least, part of the mid-finale. The next part is coming up next chapter. So, stay tuned as the ride is far from over.**


	37. Chapter 37

**Heroin and Vodka**

 **Author's note:** **Hey guys. Sorry for the month-long delay. I know I promised a chapter early September, but this past month has been really hectic for me. I just couldn't find those few hours to sit down at peace and type on my computer. My exams are drawing closer by the day and chapters will become scarce till my exams a re finally over in November. Then, I'll be back on track updating the story every fortnight. But fir now, you'll have to bear with the slow pace.**

 **Disclaimer:** **I do not own How To Get Away With Murder. Its plot and characters are the sole property of Pete Nowalk and Shonda Rhimes.**

* * *

 **Chapter 37**

"Patient's lost about two liters of blood." one of the paramedics declared, to the other, who nodded.

"BP's 60 over 30. Probable placenta abruption." she continued.

Annalise continued hurriedly behind her, running to keep up with the gurney which was currently occupied by Laurel. She was unconscious and the white sheet underneath her was dripping with blood.

"Tachy to the 130s. Baby's cyanotic on deliver. D-stick performed in the field. Blood glucose, 32."

"Ok." the doctor declared. "Take her to L&D and the baby to the NICU. Go."

Annalise watched as the smaller gurney carrying the premature baby was carried off down the hallway while the one carrying Laurel was pushed through an elevator.

"What can I do?" Annalise asked the doctor as he hurriedly entered the elevator.

"Stay here." he replied. "The nurse will keep you updated."

The elevator slid shut with a _ding._

Annalise gazed down at the floor, her heart pounding in her chest. It almost felt as though it would burst out any moment. The hallway began to spin around her, as she shook her head attempting to regain balance.

A firm, yet gentle hand was placed on her shoulder. Annalise turned around hesitantly, tears in her eyes. She immediately buried her head into the man's chest as she sobbed silently.

Isaac gently stroked her head in a calming and soothing manner.

So much had changed that night. Not just between them, but regarding everything.

Isaac felt the tremors of her silent sobs and his mind immediately recalled the moment his ex-wife, Jacqueline, had found out about the death of their daughter, Stella. Isaac had failed to maintain his composure back then, and that had ended up costing his marriage.

He was determined not to repeat the same mistake.

"Hey. Look at me." he replied softly. Annalise gazed up at him. Tears, mixed with sweat, was running down her cheeks. Isaac raised his hand and gently brushed her tears away.

"You saved her, Annalise." Isaac continued softly. "Not just Laurel. But the baby too. You should be proud of yourself. At least, I'm proud of you, to say the least."

Annalise couldn't help but give a small smile. Isaac watched her face brighten up and he smiled in response too.

"There she is." he chuckled in amusement.

Annalise gave a small laugh. She steadied herself.

Isaac gazed down at his watch. It was nearly 10. He looked up at her.

"We should get you some coffee. And probably something to eat as well. You look like hell." Isaac replied.

Annalise nodded mutely, but then looked up with an apologetic expression.

"I…left my bag at the apartment." she replied quietly.

Isaac waved off the apology.

"My treat." he replied warmly, as he wrapped an arm around her shoulder and held her firmly. He pressed the button and the elevator slid open as they both walked in.

* * *

"Here." Isaac replied, handing Annalise a cup. "It's hot-chocolate."

Annalise raised her brows.

Isaac shrugged.

"They were out of coffee. I made a judgement call." Isaac replied, as he took the seat opposite to her.

Annalise took a slow sip of the liquid. She tasted the sweet, yet slightly bitter liquid slide down her throat, warming her insides. Isaac observed her steadily.

"Feel better?" he asked in a soft voice.

Annalise nodded, as he set the cup down on the table.

Isaac nodded accordingly as he took a sip of his own cup.

Both remained silent for a few minutes. Yet, neither felt discomfort in said silence. It could have even been construed as a peaceful moment, has all the events which had transpired merely an hour ago not occurred.

Annalise took another slow sip, relishing the taste this time. She looked up at Isaac, who was idly gazing around at the various occupants of the cafeteria.

"Isaac?" Annalise asked.

Hearing his name, Isaac turned to face her.

"Yes?" he asked.

Annalise looked down as various thoughts flashed through her mind. Laurel's pained cries in the elevator…the blood on the floor…the crowning head of the premature baby…

Yet, she recalled feeling the man's calming presence as he had guided her through the entire procedure.

Isaac eyes her, puzzled.

"Annalise? What is it?" he asked.

"Thank you." she replied softly.

Her reply puzzled the man even more.

"For what?" Isaac asked.

"Just…for everything. For being my therapist. For being there with me all these months—through Sam, Wes and now Laurel. I couldn't—"

But Isaac cut him off.

"Stop." Isaac replied. He paused. Reaching out, he gently took her hand in his. Both of their hands were warm owing to the hot beverages they had been consuming.

"I'm…your friend, Annalise. And there are no thanks between friends." he replied, softly, before continuing. "And as for Laurel, _you_ were the one who administered the CPR. I was merely guiding you through it. You could have done it without me as well."

Annalise shook her head.

"I wouldn't have known where to begin." she replied quietly.

Isaac chuckled.

"You're a smart woman. I daresay you would have figured it out eventually."

Annalise smiled softly.

She raised her cup for the final sip, when her phone began to buzz. Sighing in annoyance, she set the cup down and reached into her pocket and pulled it out. Noticing the name, she immediately answered the call.

"What the hell happened to Laurel, Connor?" Annalise asked sharply. Isaac watched as her eyebrows knitted together in worry, awaiting his response.

"I know. I'm at the hospital with her." she continued. "She had the baby, Connor. Yes, she almost bled to death in my elevator…When what went down?"

A sense of foreboding filled Isaac. He had a hunch this night was _far_ from over.

"Connor?" Annalise asked irritably, as she awaited his reply.

Her eyes widened.

"What?" she replied sharply, "Who? Connor, _who got shot_?"

* * *

 **Author's note:** **Sorry, I had to end this chapter shortly. Its barely 1200 words. Anyways, 4x09 is a very long episode and a lot of things happen in that episode, which I don't believe would blow over well if I put it all into one single chapter. So, the rest of it will go down next chapter. I couldn't help but put in this small interlude between Annalise and Isaac. It just felt right. The calm before the rest of the storm. Lol.**

 **Anyways, have you guys watched 6x01 yet? Viola deserves an Emmy for her acting. It was brilliant. Especially the last few minutes. I'll just say, that flashforward has me hooked. There is no freaking way they are actually going through with** _ **that**_ **, right? Let me know your opinions in the reviews. I'll** _ **try**_ **and have the next chapter out by mid-October. Until next time.**


	38. Chapter 38

**Heroin and Vodka**

 **Author's note:** **Hey guys. Thankfully, you guys didn't have to wait** _ **too**_ **long for this chapter. My schedule was comparatively lighter this week in comparison to the previous week, so I was actually able to devote a few hours to the fic. Anyways, this will be the longer half of the mid-season finale of Season 4. I have a few changes planned in the second half of Season 4, one of which will be evident in this chapter itself. I hope I do it justice.**

 **Disclaimer:** **I do not own How To Get away With Murder. Its plot and characters are the sole property of Pete Nowalk and Shonda Rhimes.**

 **Chapter 38**

"So…" Isaac hurried after Annalise, as she rushed through the corridor, "…this Simon person was _shot_? At C&G? Where your students intern?"

"Yes." Annalise mumbled without turning back as she increased her pace, reaching the elevator at last. She hurriedly pressed the button. Isaac glanced at the display.

The elevator was on the ground floor. They were on the 9th.

"It will be faster if we take the stairs." Isaac replied quickly.

Annalise nodded to him as both turned right and rushed off down the stairs. They had hardly reached the landing of the eighth floor when Annalise's phone began to buzz. She yanked it out of her pocket and answered.

"What is it, Frank?" she asked, in a hurry.

She listened to him as he spoke, her eyes widening.

"I'll be there in five minutes." she replied quietly, as she quickly shoved the phone back into her pocket before turning to Isaac, who was standing by the stairs, clearly on edge.

"You need to go to Laurel." she replied immediately, "Frank's with her. She is being held at the psych ward. I need you to do a second psych eval on her as soon as she wakes up."

Isaac was about to refute, claiming that he didn't have any credentials at this particular hospital, when he noticed her breathing begin to get heavier. His eyes widened.

She was going into shock.

Isaac quickly grabbed her hand and dragged her over to the nearest unoccupied seat. He gently, but firmly deposited her on the seat. Her breathing had started to become more frenetic in the meantime. Isaac kneeled down in front of her.

"Annalise?" he tried calmly, his years of practice taking over "Look at me."

Her breathing seemed to become heavier and more rapid, as she began to sweat profusely.

Isaac cursed under his breath.

"Damnit, Annalise. Look at me!" he replied sharply.

The sharp voice seemed to jolt her out of her reverie as her eyes focused on him. Isaac reached out and grasped her hands in his firmly.

"Breathe." he instructed.

Annalise nodded slightly. She took in a deep breath and exhaled.

"Nice and slowly." Isaac cautioned. "Breathe into your belly rather than your chest."

Annalise followed his advice, taking in another deep breath and exhaling slower than last time. She repeated the process for another two minutes or so, before her breathing seemed to even out and return to normal. She glanced up at Isaac. The man was kneeling and holding her hands. It was a firm, yet gentle hold and it didn't hurt her.

"Better?" Isaac asked softly.

Annalise nodded.

"Yeah." she replied after a pause.

"Good." Isaac replied, satisfied. He got up and gently pulled her up as well. He placed his arms firmly around her shoulder and walked her to the elevator. She was in no condition to walk down the stairs. Isaac pressed the button as the two silently awaited the elevator's arrival.

"The baby's gone." Annalise mumbled.

"What?" Isaac asked.

"She's gone." she replied, as she began to sob into his chest. "He took her. And now…he'll probably kill her and be done with it."

Isaac's brows furrowed. He had no doubt as to who she was referring to. Laurel had mentioned him during their session together and their past was pretty shaky and fragile as it was.

But the man had had enough. Both of them had been through a terrible ordeal that night. Especially Annalise. The woman had been reduced to tears. It was something that Isaac couldn't bear to see. She was this strong, passionate and zealous woman. And clearly over the course of a year or so that he had gotten to know her, she had recovered from her alcoholism and then subsequently been through hell and back.

And now she was right back in the depths of hell.

The elevator slid open. Isaac walked her through. As the doors slid shut, Isaac replied.

"You are getting cleaned up." he replied firmly. "And then, you're heading home."

Annalise shook her head frantically.

"No. You don't understand. Laurel's father has her. The baby. If I don't—"

But she was cut off as she noticed the look on Isaac's face. It was a look that she had never seen on the man's face before. He was glaring at her heatedly. Yet, she could tell that there wasn't any anger being directed. At her at least. The closest that she had ever seen him like this was the one time when he had been high and had yelled at her. But this was different. He was clearly in deep thought.

Meanwhile, multiple things were running through the man's mind a she tried to keep up with them.

Laurel had given birth to the baby. In the elevator. As she had almost bled to death.

The baby was premature as a result and Isaac prayed that she would make it out alive. For his sake.

Not to mention the entire fiasco that had occurred at Caplan and Gold. The kids had attempted to frame Laurel's father by trying to obtain inflammatory information regarding his company, Antares.

Things had just spiraled from there.

Simon had ended up shooting himself with a _loaded_ gun which Laurel had sneaked into the building, and he was most likely dead.

The baby was being transferred to an as of yet unknown location by her father.

Annalise had just had a panic attack. Clearly, the stress of the night had finally gotten to her.

And to top it all off, these were merely a prelude to the much larger worry which was eating away at him.

The fact that Laurel was schizophrenic. And it had been during one of her episodes, that she had lost control and ended up killing Wes.

Isaac sighed. The problems were just piling on and the mountain loomed bigger every second.

"Isaac?" Annalise asked, snapping him out of his thoughts. Isaac met her gaze.

"You need to go home, Annalise." Isaac replied, reiterating his previous statement.

"No. What about—" but Isaac cut her off.

"Enough, Annalise. You _just_ had a panic attack. This is too much. Even for you." he replied, attempting to make her see reason. "You're putting everyone else's needs before yourself. And that stops right now."

Annalise shook her head violently and attempted to exit the elevator, but Isaac had a firm grasp on her.

"Annalise, _listen to me_." he replied sharply.

Annalise sighed, knowing that it was futile to try to escape. She turned to face him.

"You're…tired, Annalise. You've been through hell today. I…would be a terrible doctor if I allowed you to pursue this any further."

"I'm fine." Annalise huffed, annoyed. She couldn't understand why Isaac was not comprehending the magnitude of the situation that they were in.

Isaac shook his head.

" _You_ are my patient. You are my priority here. And…" he paused, regretting what he was about to say next, "…if you do not cooperate with me, I will have no other option but to report your behavior to the Bar."

Annalise's eyes widened. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. She had never thought that he of all people would turn on her.

As if he could read her mind, Isaac shook his head.

"Annalise…this is for your own good. I only want what's best for you."

Annalise was silent for a few seconds before she forcefully wrenched herself free from the man.

"I was wrong to trust you." she mumbled, "I thought…you were different. But you're the same. The same as _him_." she spat.

Isaac eyed her, puzzled.

"Who are you—" he asked, but Annalise cut him off.

"Don't." she replied angrily, "Just…don't."

The elevator slid open finally and Annalise shot off immediately, leaving a puzzled Isaac behind. Isaac was about to call out to her, but stopped himself.

He was conflicted.

Part of him wanted to stop her and make sure that she didn't do something irrational or stupid. Or worse.

But the other part of him knew that time was slipping away. And so was Laurel's baby.

Having never met George Castillo, Isaac was unsure as to what to make out of the man. While he wasn't someone who generally believed hearsay, both Laurel _and_ Annalise were convinced that the man was crooked in his ways.

Sighing, Isaac pulled out his cellphone. Browsing through his contact list, he finally found the one he was searching for.

He hesitated for a fraction of a second, before he pressed 'Call'. He awaited a response, praying that the person would answer and it wouldn't be redirected to voicemail.

By the third ring, Isaac had almost given up, when the line clicked and the call connected. A female voice answered.

"Dr. Roa?" she asked, "To what do I owe this pleasure past 12 at night?" she asked, her voice heavy with sarcasm.

Isaac took a deep breath before replying.

"I need your help."

 **Author's note:** **There you go! Bet none of you saw that coming. Who is this mysterious person whom Isaac is asking for assistance? I'll give you a hint. She's a renowned TV lawyer as well. Ok. I've said too much. That's all you're getting from me.**

 **Anyways, what did you guys think of 6x02 and 6x03? I found 6x03's ending completely at odds with 6x02. I frankly do not like Vivian, but boy is her acting** _ **really**_ **good. Also, the flashforward gave me chills. Poor Connor.**

 **Anyways, do let me know your thoughts in the reviews. I'll try to have the next chapter up by the end of October. If not, then latest by the first week of November. Until then, have fun.**


	39. Chapter 39

**Heroin and Vodka**

 **Author's note:** **Hey guys. I know I'm super late and that the last update was back in October. But I was really busy these past few months that I couldn't manage to find even a few hours to myself to type.**

 **Anyways, how was the last chapter? I got a bunch of reviews asking me the identity of the mysterious person whom Isaac called at the end of last chapter. Some of you offered guesses but unfortunately, none of you got it right. I guess I should have reiterated. This person is indeed a famous lawyer in her world, but she isn't** _ **the**_ **lawyer of her respective show. Now that that's out of the way, you'll be given some more hints regarding this lawyer in this chapter and I will (hopefully) manage to introduce her in the next chapter itself. Or maybe in this chapter only. Lets se. It could go either way. Anyways, enjoy.**

 **Disclaimer:** **I do not own How to Get Away With Murder. Its plot and characters are the sole property of Pete Nowalk and Shonda Rhimes.**

 **Chapter 39**

Isaac rushed down the hallway, spotting Frank standing at the far end.

"Over here." Frank called out, noticing him. Isaac sped up, reaching him in seconds.

"How is she?" he asked immediately. Frank began walking towards the closest room, Isaac following to keep up.

"Still unconscious." Frank replied in a huff, "The nurse said they found drugs in her system."

Isaac eyes widened fractionally. This was news to him.

"What drugs?" he asked inquisitively.

Frank ignored the question, instead reaching the door and pulling it open. Before entering though, he turned back to face Isaac.

"Where's Annalise?" he asked.

A multitude of thoughts ran through Isaac's mind as Frank eyed him curiously, his hands still on the doorknob. Isaac was perfectly aware that he could not tell Frank that he had sent Annalise back to her apartment. He would blow a fuse. Instead, he decided to give him what he wanted to hear.

"She's…" Isaac began, "…dealing with Laurel's father."

Frank eyed him suspiciously, before nodding and walking through the door. Isaac followed him inside.

Laurel was lying unconscious on the bed, as a monitor beeped at regular intervals beside her. A nurse was beside her, checking her pulse. As Frank approached the bed, she began to stir. When Frank reached her bedside, her eyes fluttered open.

"Hey." Frank said, softly.

"Frank?" Laurel asked, turning her head to face him. "What is it?"

She casually brushed her hands against her belly and then paused, glancing down.

Isaac frowned heavily, waiting for the bomb to drop.

"What happened Frank?" she asked, sitting up. "Where's the baby?" Frank reached out to steady her.

"Laurel. Everything's going to be alright." Frank replied, attempting to calm her down. This did little to actually help.

Isaac was observing Laurel carefully. This was the first time he'd seen her since their last session. Her eyes were dilated and she was beginning to sweat, as was evident from her pale skin.

Meanwhile, Laurel's behavior was steadily becoming more erratic by the second.

"Where's the baby, Frank?" she reiterated, as she began to sob. "Where's my baby?"

"It's OK, Laurel." Frank replied, continuing in a reassuring tone. "The baby's in the NICU right now. They'll bring her to you shortly."

Isaac's eyes widened as he stared at Frank, nonplussed. What was he getting at, lying to her in her current condition? It would only serve to add more fuel to the fire if she were to discover the truth later on, which was bound to happen shortly.

"Your father's here." he replied abruptly, from where he was standing. Laurel turned her head to face him, having just noticed his presence in the room. Her eyes widened.

"What?" she asked in a whisper.

"He took her, Laurel. He's transferring the baby as we're speaking." Isaac continued.

Frank had in the meantime left Laurel's side and approached him.

"What do you think you're doing?" he asked in a low, harsh voice. Despite the intimidating tone, Isaac refused to budge.

"You're making it worse." he replied.

"And what would _you_ know about that?" Frank continued, "Annalise sent you here to make things better and _not_ worse."

"And you think lying to her is the best solution?" Isaac shot back, staring Frank straight in the eye.

Frank eyed the man as he stared back at him impassively. Till date, he had met many men whom he considered scum and some which were…well…Sam had been far worse than scum when he had been alive. Yet, he had known Isaac for the better part of a year now. Yet, he couldn't definitely assess as to where the man's loyalty lay. The fact that he was also a therapist always seemed to put him off too.

Frank was wary of therapists. They often knew too much.

Frank glared at the man who was staring pointedly back at Frank without budging an inch. He had to give the older man credit—he was quite fearless. Deciding to give the man the benefit of the doubt for the time being, he backed away and walked to the door before turning back and striding towards the door. He pulled open the door, but turned back before exiting.

"You better be sure of what you're doing, doc." he warned him. Isaac nodded curtly in response. Without another word, Frank exited the room.

Isaac turned to the bed where Laurel was currently resting in. The entire exchange with Frank had occurred in a matter of seconds and Laurel, who had been too busy processing the bomb which Isaac had dropped on her, had not noticed the exchange. Isaac sighed thankfully. He walked over to her bedside and pulled up the chair, sitting down next to her.

Laurel turned her head to face him. Her eyes were wide and bloodshot and her face was paler than usual, which was saying something as she was just as much Latino as him.

"Is it true?" she whispered, "Is she gone?"

Isaac weighed his options. He doubted he could reassure her. Informing her that he had sent Annalise back home would only serve to excite her further. So, with a calm and decided sigh, Isaac repeated his earlier words.

"It's being taken care of, Laurel." he replied firmly. "All you have to worry about right now is getting better." He gently placed his hand on the edge of her bed. "Can you do that for me?" he added softly.

Laurel eyed Isaac carefully.

She had been visiting the man ever since she had begun having those bizarre and awkward visions. The man had been sympathetic and had done his best to analyze her situation. Slowly, but surely enough, Laurel had begun to shed some of her shields around the man. At first, she had been reluctant to do so and Isaac had complied, and not pushed her to open up. Instead, he had allowed her to open up willingly and in her own time, something which she had never experienced before.

Ever since her childhood, she had been pushed around by her family and she had hoped to escape the nightmare that was her father. She differed from Micheala in that she had never actually had daddy issues or attempted to replace her father with someone else. She had never felt such a need. In fact, the mere thought of it repulsed her.

This was all true. Until she met Isaac and came to know him for the man that he truly was.

In the short time that she had come to know him, Laurel had realized something. This man was…radically different from Sam. Laurel had never been at ease with Sam, despite knowing him all for the duration of two months only. In fact, she had hardly shared a conversation with the man. Her most prolonged interaction with the man had been on the night of the fateful bonfire.

Yet, she recalled how she had exploded at Connor following the reveal that he had been at Annalise's house the night her house had been burnt down. She had been furious at him and had been unwilling to forgive him for keeping such a thing from everyone. Yet, it was Isaac who had come to Connor's defense and he had opened up, revealing a pain he had buried away years ago. Laurel recalled the look in the man's eyes…

" _I know because…that was the same look I had seen often in my daughter's eyes. It was the same look… I had…when I lost her."_

"Laurel?" Isaac asked, snapping her out of her thoughts. She looked at him. The man was eyeing her expectantly. She coughed before nodding.

"Alright." she whispered, before laying her head back on her pillow and turning to the other side. "But you better fix this."

Isaac nodded.

* * *

No sooner had he exited Laurel's room did he encounter a dishevelled Micheala who looked worse for wear. Her face was dark and tear strained. But what immediately drew his attention was the splash of blood across her dress, which was surreptitiously covered by a long overcoat, somewhat similar to the one he was wearing himself.

"Where is she?" she asked as she rushed up to him, "Frank told me she was here. Can I see her?" Without waiting for a reply, she attempted to bypass him. But Isaac immediately obstructed her path.

"What are you—"

"No." Isaac replied, cutting her off.

Micheala eyed him carefully.

"What do you mean "no"?" she asked.

"I mean you can't see her right now."

Michaela stared back at her, eying him as if he was crazy.

"What do you mean I can't see her? I'm her friend and you can't stop me!" she replied defiantly as she attempted to push her way past him. But Isaac cut her off.

"She's a patient, Micheala. And she's in no condition to entertain visitors right now." Isaac informed her firmly. "As her therapist, I cannot allow you to disturb her now."

Micheala stopped trying to push his way past him and stepped back, eying him critically.

"What do you mean you're her therapist? Laurel never mentioned she visited you. What are you—"

Isaac cut him off.

"I'm sorry Micheala. But I'm not at liberty to divulge that information to you. If Laurel hasn't told you herself, I cannot either."

Micheala chuckled and gave a wry smile.

"If you think you can stop me from seeing Laurel, think again." she replied defiantly, before striding back up the corridor and turning the corner. Isaac sighed. She had obviously gone to get reinforcements.

This night had just become more complicated.

* * *

The sun was just barely beginning to rise as Isaac stared at the bright glow which was barely visible between the looming buildings.

Micheala hadn't shown up with backup as Isaac had been expecting, which didn't surprise him too much. He sincerely doubted Connor would actually help Micheala given that he had been completely against Laurel's plan to raid Caplan and Gold to begin with. He had been carefully avoiding Frank for the past two hours and the man was growing tired. And it was beginning to show.

He had almost dozed off in his chair at the lobby. Deciding that it simply wouldn't do, he had dragged himself up and walked up to the hospital cafeteria on the top floor.

He had just taken a seat next to the window and taken a sip of his coffee when a voice interrupted him.

"I'm sorry? Is this seat taken?" the voice asked. Before he could reply, a woman had promptly taken the seat opposite to him.

She was dark skinned, perhaps a shade lighter than Annalise herself. Her long raven hair reflected the fluorescent lighting of the cafeteria. She was wearing a long grey double-breasted drape coat. She deposited her handbag on the table and turned to face Isaac.

Isaac smiled softly.

"It's been a long time, Jessica."

 **Author's note:** **And CUT!**

 **There you go guys. The mystery caller from the previous chapter has been revealed. Although she really doesn't require an introduction as she's one of the most fierce and badass lawyers on television, this is Jessica Pearson from** _ **Suits.**_ **She's one of the most iconic lawyers on TV and if you don't know her, you really have been living under a rock these past few years.**

 **Anyways, all jokes aside, she's going to be central to getting the baby back and winning custody. How will she do that? Well, you'll just have to wait and see.**

 **Also, the next few updates might be a bit sporadic as I'll be busy in the next two months or so. Although I cannot guarantee anything, I promise I'll try to update as frequently as possible.**


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